Let Me In
by MoneyTunes10
Summary: Isabella wants to come in to play now…will you let her in?   OOC/AU/Dark
1. Chapter 1

**Let Me In**

**By MoneyTunes10**

**Chapter One**

Do you believe in evil?

Well it believes in you….

It has been over a century since Forks had this much snow. The dark of night, which provides the necessary cover for the new occupants, is useless since the cold white puffs falling rapidly from the overcast night sky stick to their sullied skin. Isabella's feet are bare, as usual, and her hair hangs in limp threads, obscuring her face from any unlucky occupants still up at this late hour inside their homes. For these well-meaning small town folks should not see this peculiar girl.

Her father, for all intents and purposes, is shivering, even though he is submerged with as many pieces of warm clothing as he could find. He, at least, seem to be affected by this force of nature descending in small, cold, clean puffs. Yet there are some beings that defy forces of nature. Isabella is one of those beings.

Knee-deep in snow, she leads the way to their new home. It is imperative that they move at night and remain covered under the darkness, for the sunlight causes her seventeen-year old body to singe with burns. With heads down, the twosome make their way, incidentally passing by the Cullen mansion and crossing the street to a shoddy-looking house.

Four of the five heartbeats coming from the Cullen home are thumping rhythmically, indicating that slumber has taken them for the night. The fifth heartbeat, the one belonging to Edward Cullen, is still beating powerfully. He is up late as usual. This ritual of Edward's is the reason he sees Isabella and the reason she sees him. Her snow-hooded eyes instinctively seek this boy. Those green eyes, which are squinting from the second floor into the streets looking at the two lumbering shapes, belong to an attractive boy. Yes, he appears to be seventeen and the innocence that glints in his eyes contrasts viciously with the knowledgeable darkness that consumes hers.

Edward of course can not see her eyes. He can not even tell if she is a boy or a girl. He only sees two huddled shapes covered in snow entering the decrepit house across the street. The same house that all the neighbors wanted demolished for bringing down their property values. He thinks nothing of the new neighbors; dismissing them as homeless stragglers trying to find shelter from the cold.

Edward's indifferent attitude is justified…for now.

**::::**

No one in the town pays attention to the house. The two occupants prefer this lack of consideration and preserve the obscure relationship by mostly exiting the house at night. The man, who is clearly older and could pass as Isabella's father, sometimes leaves during the day but only after Isabella makes sure it's clear.

She would always listen intently and give him a curt nod. He is never offended by her lack of vocal communication. He would do anything for her, she knows it and he knows it. Charlie Swan would follow Isabella to the end of the world. She reminds him so much of his late wife that his love for this creature is irrational…just as love should be.

Because sometimes we love so hard and so much that we grasp at any hope that keeps the object of our affection alive. Isabella keeps Charlie's love for his late wife, Renee, alive. This man was at the brink of death when he stumbled upon Isabella.

He was walking back from Renee's funeral and drunk beyond any human's capacity when he saw a slender figure standing in the middle of the street.

It was three in the morning. There would be no reason for anyone to be standing in the middle of the street.

He saw the slight figure and the dark hair and was convinced it was Renee reborn. She could not bear to part from him either…at least that's what he told himself.

For the slim frame and brown hair were the only common thread between Renee and Isabella. Evil pervaded Isabella's features. She was beautifully evil. From the way she cocked her head as she looked at Charlie to the way her fingers delicately traced the veins in his neck. He never even remembered her moving towards him. She was just in the street and then she was in front of him. It was only the blissful wonder on Charlie's face that peaked her curiosity and stopped her from consuming him.

She learned about Charlie that night. He let her into his world and in turn, Charlie got what he wanted. In his mind, he got Renee back.

He could justify the evil seeping from the Isabella as she asked him to bring humans to her because she needed blood to survive. And Charlie did it; he did it out of love. He did it because even evil can not dilute his love.

Yet he is human and needs sunlight. He even remembers the days he had picnics with Renee. Then sadness would suddenly overtake him because he can not take Isabella on picnics. Yes she can go out on overcast days, but what would she eat? He never saw her consume victims, but he could always hear their gurgled screams from the next room…even in his dreams.

**::::**

So no one in this town takes a second look at the poorly dressed man. Some merely have a passing thought that the homeless population in Forks is oddly increasing but no one thinks more of it. They are all too excited about Christmas. They are all too happy to be spending the holidays with family and friends, enjoying the winter break together, to focus on the little changes that are occurring.

For example, Sam, the local bum no longer sits in the park on his favorite bench. He isn't even outside his usual convenience store joking with Emmett McCarthy. In fact, Sam seems to have left Forks…maybe he went to a bigger city they thought. He had always talked about living in Seattle and making a ton of money.

And yet if they peek into the home across the street from the Cullens, they would see Sam's stray boot. His lucky sweatshirt soiled with blood and his neck gnawed until the muscles were marred from the mastication of powerful canines and molars. Yet no blood pools beneath his still form. His body sadistically drained of its life giving fluid.

In the corner of the very same room Isabella sits staring at the window. It is overcast and she watches Charlie take one of his daily walks. Her form does not change; it is still as if it is part of the decrepit building she currently calls home. She watches as the Cullen children return to their home from the last day of school before winter break. She knows them by now. She's heard enough from them to know all about them. She sees Emmett, Jasper and Edward start a snowball fight. She sees Alice's small form wildly dashing towards Edward with a huge lumpy snowball ready to join the fight, and she sees Rosalie and Tanya duck as they make a mad dash for shelter behind their car.

A slow smile creeps on this creature's face as she wonders how they will taste. Yet it's the little girl that steps outside the door of the Cullen home that she salivates for the most.

"Carlie," Edward laughed breathlessly ducking and calling to his youngest sister, "come play with us!"

Isabella chuckles but there is no joy behind it, _yes come out, come out wherever you are, I would love to play with you Carlie._


	2. Chapter 2

**Let Me In-Chapter Two**

Yes, we could all judge Isabella as the vilest creature for wanting to tear through nine-year old Carlie's soft flesh to get to her blood. We could all condemn her to the deepest parts of hell screaming for her to never return. But we should do no such thing, for there is a little of Isabella in every one of us.

And even though Isabella is a force to be reckoned with, so is Carlie. This child, such an innocent pure thing, whose aroma is savory to Isabella, is the human that will teach the creature that evil is not the only inescapable force in existence.

The morning after the epic snowball fight, the Cullen children, Edward, Alice and Carlie, step outside seemingly waiting for someone.

Of course Isabella knows they are waiting for their friends.

Emmett drives up in a jeep accompanied by Rosalie and Tanya while Jasper drives a sedan. Alice and Carlie are visibly exited. Their bundled forms dance from foot-to-foot as they clap joyfully. The group plans to spend the day at the mall. Christmas presents must be bought and wrapped.

The parents, Esme and Carlisle, are absent from the home.

A tinge of pleasure penetrates Isabella's psyche. This is the ideal time to explore the home. She could learn more about the object of her obsession. Then she can lure the child from her tight-knit clan into the woods behind the house.

As soon as they pile into two cars, they take off into the snow-covered streets.

The grey shadows of clouds blanket the sky, hiding the sun from the earth and allowing the stealth footsteps of Isabella to penetrate the un-spoilt snow behind her home. She does not feel any burning pain on her exposed legs; it seems that the clouds have covered enough of the sun's rays. She starts taking the long way to the Cullen home.

She has to make a large loop so that the nosey old widowed Mrs. Pope does not see her enter the home.

She ascends the steps to the back door. Her head cocks to the side as she decides the best way to unlock the door. Forgoing the use of force, she pulls out her tools to pick the lock. She despises using these human avenues to break into a home. It makes her feel like a common burglar.

As she enters, her sense of smell is assaulted by concentrated scents of human habitation. The smell of cooked food, soap, lotions; all the scents they use to mask their natural odor. She isn't necessarily repulsed, just annoyed that Carlie's smell is folded under layers of all these different scents. She notes that the parents and two siblings all have the same pleasurable undertones that Carlie's scent has.

She does not linger to observe the mantel over the fireplace filled with joyous family photos of vacations, recitals, plays and games.

Instead, she climbs the stairs quickly following her nose until she is outside her room. She touches the paper mache 'CARLISE'S ROOM' sign that hangs proudly from its place of honor. Her tongue instinctively traces her upper lip, tasting the air, as she anticipates the wonderful concentrated perfume that surely had to be present in this room.

And of course it is. This delectable scent emanates from every fabric that had the privilege of being in this room.

Isabella's eyes scan the room with determination.

Her task is simple; learn about the child then lure the child.

There are many pictures of her family scattered throughout the room. From the time she was a newborn until her present age. She seemed to always be somewhere with either her parents or her older brother or sister.

Yet there are no pictures of her and friends her own age. The pictures of her birthday parties include the group of humans Isabella had last seen her with as well as her parents, yet no one her age.

This is favorable for Isabella. This child seems to enjoy the company of her elders and shun that of her peers.

This is unnatural.

Unlike Isabella, humans yearn to be accepted and bonded with their peers…they rarely want to be alone. It is their nature; especially a nine-year old female.

She needs to see Carlie interact with her peers.

She also notes that she is very tidy. Everything has a place. This prompts Isabella to take a look at herself in the full length mirror. Her appearance is even more grotesque when set against this clean room. Her form suits the home across the street but not this tiny haven within a neat home. She would have to clean up before approaching the girl.

Thus she leaves the Cullen home, sadly with a little less knowledge than she anticipated.

That night she instructs Charlie as to what she needs him to purchase for her.

Over the centuries of hunting Isabella amassed a small fortune from simply taking whatever cash the victim had on them. Although she mostly consumed homeless individuals, the times that she did partake of the wealthy, she took the cash. After doing it for two centuries, it was easy to see how she amassed a fortune. She had little use for the money that was sitting in the bank but it does come handy in times such as this. It was also handy for Charlie, her first and only human companion. He had human needs that she never anticipated so she gave him free access to her money.

After she makes her request known, she retires to her room to wait for the Cullens and their friends to return. Soon after, she hears Charlie shuffling up the stairs towards her.

He clears his throat, yet she remains in the same still position staring across the street.

"Isabella, you're not going to hurt that little girl are you? You've never hurt children…"

Charlie's voice trails off slightly as Isabella turns and stares into this human's eyes.

Knowing this creature's attention is on him makes his scalp prickle. He rubs the back of his neck and slowly backs out of the room. Her eyes have changed from their normal human appearance. They have darkened until they retained a beautiful burgundy red color that glows like hot coals smoldering in a dark red sea. The veins that surrounds her eyes darkened and are such a lovely contrast to her pale skin that had she been painted, her beauty would rivaled that of the Mona Lisa.

But Isabella isn't a painting. She's real and Charlie knows better than to question her further.

He just had a soft spot in his heart for children because he and Renee could not have children of their own. He even considered Isabella to be the child that they never had, so he never wanted to harm children. He always hoped that Isabella would find her way out of the darkness.

That hope is futile…at least for the moment.

So Isabella watches as her favorite family invite the Denalis, McCarthys and Hales for an impromptu dinner, after their children return from the mall. They all help to prepare dinner as laughter and joy radiates from the entire home. Emmett's jokes elicit booming laughter from around the table, yet the warmth fails to reach Isabella's cold heart. Her eyes are locked onto Carlie's face. Her delicate features, the ease in which she fits into this family all fascinates Isabella.

Isabella needs to prepare. Charlie already knows where he needs to go for the utilities to be turned on. He also knows the realtor for the property. The woman will be grateful to have someone purchase the home. Charlie will obviously be cleaned up and ready to pay full price as well as promise to rebuild the home. It will be easy.

Yet he feels uneasy that Isabella wants to remain. She never wanted to stay anywhere so as not to draw the Officials attention. For the number of missing people would inevitability skyrocket in a town as small as Forks and the investigations would begin. Nonetheless, Charlie wants her to be happy and feel loved by giving her what she wants.

So what Isabella wants, she gets. And tomorrow she will start working on getting what she wants.

Tomorrow she will have the pleasure of meeting Carlie.

Tomorrow she will see her off to school.

Tomorrow…doesn't tomorrow always hold so may promises? And aren't promises meant to be broken?


	3. Chapter 3

**Let Me In-Chapter Three**

Tomorrow has finally arrived and it's full of promises yet Isabella finds Carlie arguing with Edward.

She wants to walk to school alone. The sidewalk is clean and she is old enough to go to the rehearsal by herself. The only reason Carlie has to go to the school auditorium today is because her class is performing a Christmas play tonight. She needs to get to practice in the morning before returning late afternoon.

Carlie doesn't think her tiny role in this play requires her to go to school to practice nor does she feel that her family should even attend tonight's school festivities. She just wants winter break to officially begin. She is in desperate need of a break from her tormentors, Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory.

Isabella is on Carlie's side. She officially loathes this Edward Cullen for insisting that he walk his little sister to the school. She wishes he would simply comply with the child's wishes and allow her to trudge through the snow.

He will ruin the fatal meeting between the two if he intercedes.

Isabella's preparations are at stake.

All utilities had been restored to the old house and the realtor was ecstatic that someone wanted the place. She also referred Charlie to her husband, Michael Newton, who was a contractor. He could have the placed fixed in no time she promised.

Isabella is content that they now had running water. She took the time to wash away the grime from her hair and skin in the early hours. She even changed her clothing and her feet are now adorned with boots suitable for the weather. The sky is overcast and would remain that way the entire day so she does not have to fear the rays of the sun.

Thus she looks acceptable, so that the girl would not be turned off by her appearance, the weather is cooperating with her, yet it is Edward Cullen who unknowingly chooses to stand in her way.

A huff of exasperation escapes Isabella's lips as she turns from the window and walks out of the house. She knows that Edward will not listen to Carlie. He will walk his little sister to school.

Head down and feet lumbering on the sidewalk, Isabella walks to the school. She will find a tree to observe the child…Edward will be dealt with later.

Isabella walks away from the sidewalk into the woods near the school. She scouts the area for a large tree with enough height to give her a birds-eye view of not only the entrance but the school yard. As she ascends the tree, small clusters of snow are disturbed and fall ceremoniously to the ground below.

She is comfortably perched in the tree when she notices Edward walking with Carlie, hand-in-hand. There is a slight pout on Carlie's face as she frowns looking intently at the ground. Edward stoops to tell her that he will meet her here after rehearsal but she simply stomps away with her hands folded in front of her.

A smile graces Isabella's lips as she admires how stubborn the child is.

As soon as Edward is out of sight, Carlie glances warily around for any signs of Jessica or Lauren. Thankfully the girls must already be in the auditorium warming up for their lead roles in the play.

Isabella watches as the child wraps her hands around her torso and slowly walks up the stairs. She enters after taking a deep breath.

It is forty-nine minutes later that Carlie runs head-long from the door she first entered. Isabella perks up once she smells the adrenaline-laced blood coursing through the child. She does not stop as she jumps two steps at a time, running towards the very woods that Isabella now occupies. Two girls, about Carlie's age, soon emerge from the door. One has beautiful blond hair and the other had a mass of light brown curly hair.

"Oh, come on Cry-Cry Carlie, we only want to talk to you" the blonde one yells.

They both chase Carlie, easily catching up with her.

Lauren Mallory is the blonde hair blue-eyed cherub that every adult dotes on. They think this sadistic child is a sweetheart. To Carlie, Lauren is a living nightmare who takes Jessica along to have an audience and an aide when she feels the need to be cruel.

And Lauren feels the need to be cruel at this very moment.

But we all know this don't we. We know that children can be very cruel.

**Annotation: next chapter our lovers, Edward and Isabella, will meet under less than ideal circumstances.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Let Me In-Chapter Four**

Isabella watches as the two girls grab Carlie by the hair, tossing her small body to the ground. They take turns slapping and kicking the child, yelling obscenities in a continuous flow.

Isabella determines the cause of the children's wrath by listening to their verbal assault. Carlie was coerced by their teacher, Mrs. Webber, to tell her who killed the class guinea pig.

Of course it was Lauren and Jessica. Carlie saw them the day they decided to tie a string around the animal's neck. It was ill fate that Jessica was walking by when Carlie's told Mrs. Webber.

Now that Lauren and Jessica must take responsibility for their actions, they want revenge.

Isabella watches with mild interest as Lauren and Jessica get tired. They finally spit on the fetal-shaped Carlie at their feet before giving her a cold warning to keep her mouth shut.

Carlie does not move and Isabella smells the blood leaking from this child. She swiftly drops from her tree long after Lauren and Jessica depart from the scene of their crime.

She crouches and approaches the girl. If Carlie is aware of Isabella, there is no outward sign. It is when Isabella is crouched over Carlie, twisting her head back and forth smelling the sweet nectar that flows out of the child's shallow cuts tainting the white snow, that she finally steals a look at the stranger near her.

"Why didn't you fight back?"

Isabella is genuinely curious. Most creatures have a sense of self-preservation and will fight when they are cornered. From what she observed, Carlie merely folded into herself.

Yet it is not the question that comes from this strange girl that causes Carlie to sit up slowly and look closely at her. It is the sound of her voice.

Even Isabella's human, Charlie, has never gotten quite use to her voice and he marveled at the supple way words materialize from such a beauty of a voice. Thus, it is not surprising that Isabella's prey looks shyly at her.

"Because they would only hit me harder and then say I started the fight."

_How odd_. Carlie _was_ persevering herself.

Sometimes preservation means being impassive.

The two sit in the snow facing each other for some time. Carlie knows that Edward will arrive soon to take her home. If he sees her in this condition, he will surely want to know what happened and once her mother and father get involved it would only antagonize Lauren and Jessica into further violent acts.

"Can we go some place else?" she pleads with this beautiful stranger.

Although we know the evil that is Isabella, Carlie only sees a stunningly pale girl with the voice of an angel keeping her quiet company after the worst beating in her life.

And of course we know that Isabella is very pleased with the idea.

There is no logical reason, but Isabella decides to take this child to see Sam, the dead bum. For you see, Isabella dumped Sam's body in a lake. It is currently frozen in the middle of this lake, deep in the woods. Yet you can still see his limbs bent at awkward angles through the ice. She knows that by spring, she will not be present once a lone fisherman discovers her garden of bodies.

She helps Carlie up and holds her hand in a caring gesture that to any outsider seems like a little sister taking a walk with her older sister.

In this manner, the two forms walk deeper into the woods. Both are silent until they come to the edge of the lake.

Carlie looks around for the first time, she did not think it was necessary to pay attention during their journey, yet now it seems that she should have.

"Do you want to see what's in the lake Carlie?"

"How do you know my name?"

"You didn't answer my question."

Isabella tightens her grip on the child as she hears the hastening of her heartbeat. Carlie does not struggle; instead she turns towards the girl and truly takes in her features. Although Carlie's left eye is starting to swell and the bruises are flowering on her skin, she starts to notice the oddness that is Isabella.

"What are you?"

Isabella always expects this. Whenever humans spend more than two minutes in her presence, they become acutely aware of her strangeness. No longer is she beautiful, now she is simply odd.

Irrational anger courses through Isabella as Carlie sees her for what she is…a magnificently lonely evil.

She flicks her wrists and sends the child flying into a snow bank. She immediately crouches over her and brings their faces inches apart. Tears are leaking from Carlie's eyes but she does not shut them. Instead she looks into the burgundy eyes of her new companion.

"Carlie, will you be my friend?"

Carlie nods her head in affirmation; she doesn't know why a girl who appears to be the same age as her siblings wants to be friends with her. She assumes that they share the same problem. No one her age likes her too.

"You know friends share right?"

Again Carlie nods.

"Well Carlie, I need blood to survive. Will you share your blood with me?"

Carlie frowns in confusion. _Did this girl want a blood transfusion, like what her father does in the hospital?_ But that question does not slip from her lips. Instead Carlie stares directly into the face of death herself and states, "you're just like me. You don't have friends either."

It is this statement that stops Isabella from unhinging her jaw. That statement prevents her from getting her razor-blade teeth ready for the feast of purity.

Her head cocks to the side as she regards the girl, for Carlie has just invited Isabella in… if we look into what Isabella truly needs to tame the savagery in her, it's the sense of belonging.

She has always focused on how she is _not_ human. How she differentiates herself from them. As if she is in an 'Us verses Them' universe. She has the same need to belong, the same need to be loved.

It is Carlie's simple statement that compares the two of them; classifying herself with Isabella causes Isabella to preserve the girl.

It was the same reason that Charlie Swan was spared that night. The look on his face was one that told Isabella that he was on her side, on her team, that his fate was with hers. It was this bold latching of himself to her that had saved him.

Carlie had done the same thing. She had lumped their two lonely souls together. Carlie was just like Isabella. Her brother and sister only took her everywhere with them and their friends because she had such a difficult time making friends in school.

So it is in this way that Edward comes upon his little sister…pinned to a snow bank near a lake with a stranger hovering over her. He can see the bruises on her face and starts running towards them. He can hear Emmett's heavy footsteps and Jasper's determined jog behind him.

Thankfully they answered their cells when he called to ask their help in looking for Carlie. He had finally calmed Alice after she nearly collapsed when he told her Carlie wasn't waiting for him at the school.

"Get off her!" he yells pushing the stranger with all his might.

It is the surprise that causes Isabella to leap from her crouching position over Carlie. It is the way the electrical tingling from Edward's shove radiates through her that confuses her. She is still crouching for a split second before she stands perfectly straight.

She was so intently staring at Carlie that she did not hear the footsteps or the heartbeats of these three humans. Now Emmett is standing before her as Edward cradles Carlie, shushing her the entire time.

In the corner of her eyes, she sees Jasper move towards her ready to lunge, but she is too quick. They do have her cornered so that the only escape is to run over the frozen lake.

Without hesitation, Isabella steps onto the thin ice. What she seems to be forgetting is that when she was here last, she was barefoot and she used her toenails to dig into the ice allowing her to remain upright as she dumped Sam's body into the lake.

Now she has boots on. She does not have the luxury of friction to keep her upright. So she falls and finds herself rapidly spiraling towards the center of the lake. A low growl builds into her throat as she crashes through the thin ice.

The temperature does not bother her; the lack of air does not bother her. It is Carlie's piercing scream and the simultaneous, "fuck" uttered by the three boys that bother her.

Had no humans been present, she would simply swim under the ice for a few minutes until she came to the edge of the lake and then broken through the ice.

But there are humans present. They would never understand how someone survived more than five minutes without air in a frozen lake, much less broken through the ice.

So she begins swimming towards the hole that she fell through and grasps the side of the ice trying to pull herself out. It is unsuccessful because she keeps using too much force and slips back into the water.

Carlie keeps screaming at Edward to save her, while Jasper and Emmett start gingerly stepping onto the ice to try to get to her.

She finally gets on the ice and slowly crawls to a spot further down from where the humans are. She does however hear them running towards her. As Isabella finally stands on the snow soaking wet, she looks up to see the boys staring in awe.

Carlie manages to yank herself from Edward and run to Isabella hugging her fiercely.

This gesture is unfamiliar to Isabella even though she has seen humans perform it countless times. She pats Carlie on the back and disentangles herself from the child.

With a final look directly into Edward Cullen's green eyes, she turns around and flees through the woods, taking care to run at a pace that is humanly acceptable.

Did you feel that?

There has been a monumental shift in Isabella's world. She is no longer interested in consuming the child. Someone else has stolen her undivided attention and she wants to consume him in a considerably inappropriate manner.

Let's all take the time to welcome Edward Cullen into the heart of darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Let Me In-Chapter Five**

Black and White…that's what things were like for Isabella before the phenomenon that is Edward Cullen…now like an angry toddler on a beach he's come in to stomp on those two extremes, muddying the colors and smearing them into shades of grey.

As she flees from the humans like a coward to rethink her approach, she recognizes that she likes the boy. Let's not be prudish about this, she has had lovers in the past but like a black widow she simply drank them once she was done. She would lie next to her dead lover and feel no remorse.

It was simple.

She wanted to have sex, so she slept with them and usually she was thirsty after sex so she drank them.

Yes, but simplicity is overrated.

She gets back to the house easily through the forest and upon entry she searches for Charlie; he stumbles out of his bedroom when he hears the door open. She is in front of him in an instant.

"We need to set up permanent residence here as quickly as possible."

It is a simple statement yet it holds so much power. Charlie knows she found something to interest her. And after living for as long as Isabella has, it is hard to find anything to perk her interest. He warily discuses the next step to making their new home acceptable. Tomorrow the wheels will be set in motion; they will find an interior design firm and set up an inspection. In the meantime, Charlie steps out to contact a motel for their extended stay during the remodeling.

Isabella retires to her room to keep her dark vigil over the Cullen home. She wants to see the fall out from the youngest Cullen's injuries. Edward pulls into the driveway and he is visibly upset. Alice rushes out to inform them that their parents are on their way home. Carlie is troubled too but it appears that she is screaming at the three men in front of her. She accuses them of scaring her friend away.

They are incredulous at the child's reaction. Edward is use to Carlie's strange behavior and is aware that his sister has attachment issues but he doesn't understand how she could like this unknown girl. Carlie can't even tell them the girl's name but most disturbingly she isn't telling them who hurt her. The only information she gives up is that the girl wasn't the one who hurt her.

Edward wants to know more about this stranger, he wants to demand her reason for having Carlie pressed into the snow…at least that's what he tells himself. Because Edward had to admit that she was eerily stunning. Jasper and Emmett agree with him, Emmett's compliment was more on the lines of that if a woman could pull off a drowned rat look, then she was a ten in his book.

His thoughts are interrupted when his mother all but flies out of the car and takes her child into her arms hugging her. Esme pulls back with tears in her eyes as she sees the bruises, swelling and dried blood. "Carlisle! We need to take her to the hospital. She might need stitches."

Esme's voice is trembling and Carlisle gently pries his wife's hands from Carlie. He hugs his daughter gently before giving her the same penetrating look. He asks if anything hurts before deciding that Carlie may need a few stitches and a CAT-scan, just as a precaution.

"Who did this?"

Esme's voice is measured but Edward takes a step back because the murderous look in his mother's eyes is unwavering.

"She won't tell me who did it." His response is pathetic and unfulfilling for Esme but she nods curtly. She needs to get her daughter to the hospital first, and then she can deal with the individual who attacked her child.

Carlie sends Edward a silent plea. It is one asking him to keep his encounter with the girl near the lake a secret from their parents. He nods as Carlisle instructs Esme on how to hold his youngest child in the backseat. He turns to Edward and swallows trying to contain his anger.

"I want to know everything when we get back."

Edward nods and sighs as he watches his father leave.

"I don't think you should tell him about the girl." It was Jasper who spoke.

Edward is silent as they all walk into the house. Tanya and Rosalie are already there and the boys recount the entire story to the girls. The teenagers all agree that it's best to keep the girl a secret from Carlisle and Esme.

_Why?_ Isabella thinks.

_Why are they protecting her?_

**::::**

The next day, she accompanies Charlie to the design firm in Port Angeles. They rent a car and arrive to find that the firm has a consultant working in Forks. In fact, it is Isabella's luck that this consultant lives across the street from the address they have listed on the application.

Luck has no hand in this, it is fate.

The firm contacts Esme Cullen that very morning to inform her that she has a new client…Charlie Swan. He will be arriving in the afternoon with his daughter to meet the inspector. Since the home she will be working on is across the street, they will stop by to introduce themselves and set up times to meet with her.

Although Esme is a little distracted with the excitement over Carlie, she agrees. Throwing herself into her work may ease the frustration she feels at not getting her daughter to confide in her.

Carlie is tight-lipped about what happened. Luckily nothing was broken, she needed very few stitches and is swollen and bruised but that was it. When they spoke to the investigator, he took pictures and informed them that it was probably a child or children. Had it been anyone older, Carlie would have sustained greater damage.

That was what bothered Esme. She knows the children in his town. None seemed violent. This was the reason she chose to raise all three of her children here, it was suppose to be safe.

Let's enlighten Esme…nowhere is safe.

Isabella is distracted as the inspector walks around the house with Charlie. She wants to know what Edward is thinking since their encounter. She had never been interested in human thoughts but she wants to get into his head. He's touched her once and the feeling jolted her dark heart.

The inspector finds no significant structural damage, which means the renovations will be completed very quickly. Isabella strides across the street as Charlie says goodbye to the inspector. She impatiently waits for Charlie to walk over.

She wants to see Edward again. She knocks and she prepares her senses for the aromatic assault that's about to come.

Esme smiles, genuinely pleased at meeting her new clients. As she invites them in, Isabella takes a deep breath because she can smell Edward. Her hair isn't covering her face this time; it falls in soft brown layers around her face because she knew he would be present.

Esme is chatting animatedly with Charlie as she leads them both through the house to her office. They walk by the kitchen and Isabella sees Carlie eating a sandwich. There are bruises all over the child's face. But that's not what makes Isabella smile. It the way Carlie's mouth is hanging open at the sight of her friend walking into her home.

Isabella winks and purses her lips as she used her index finger to indicate that Carlie should keep quiet. Esme briefly stops to introduce Charlie and Isabella when she realizes that Charlie never told her his daughter's name.

"Isabella."

Isabella extends her hands to Carlie and shakes the child's hand as if meeting her for the first time. Esme tries to explain Carlie's appearance but Charlie brushes it off to indicate that she doesn't have to go through the uncomfortable explanation. He's a 'don't ask, don't tell' kind of man…always has been.

They continue their walk through the house and meet Alice, Rosalie and Tanya watching a movie in the family room. As they pass the stairway that Isabella ascended the last time she was in this house alone, Edward bounds down. He's not really looking ahead since he's yelling for Jasper and Emmett to pause the video game before he beats their heads in. He only wanted to get something to drink before he beats Emmett the second time in a row.

Instead he gets full frontal body contact with Isabella.

We have to wonder if Isabella timed it so that she is at the foot of the stairs as Edward is about to jump the last stair, because he crashes into her.

Again it is not the force of this six-foot-three teenage boy meeting the body of a five-foot-four teenage girl; it's the electrical jolt that forces her body to succumb under his body.

A loud groan escapes her lips and Edward all but cums inside his pants because he feels that jolt as it travels through him.

Charlie is stunned, staring at Isabella beneath this boy's body. Tanya, Rosalie and Alice are the first to arrive as they take in the scene. Alice and Rosalie clap their hands over their mouths in an attempt to stop their laughter. Tanya is more annoyed than amused that her boyfriend is lying on top of a woman that rivals Rosalie Hale's beauty.

Emmett and Jasper run down to see what commotion occurred when they stop half way down the stairs. Carlie steps around Rosalie to look and she's the one who first breaks.

She squeals in laughter. Her light soprano childish laughter is joined by the deep booming laughter from Emmett. Jasper, Alice and Rosalie can't hold back anymore so they join the choir as their laughter combines into a symphony.

Esme steps forward and starts to tug on Edward's arm as he disentangles himself from Isabella. Esme turns her attention to Isabella to see if there was any damage. Edward tries to shift his erection but to no avail. Rosalie is quick thinking and covers Carlie's eyes while Esme turns red and Tanya's face turns purple with fury.

Once Isabella sits up and sees Edwards condition, she throws her head back and laughs.

Is there a way to describe euphoria? Well if euphoria could be captured in a sound, then Isabella's laughter is the representative sound that would accompany that description. The beauty and joy in her laughter stun every human in the room, even Charlie because he has never had the privilege of hearing such a joyous sound.

Yes, it was that wonderful that it was a privilege to listen to this creature laugh.

However it was in this rare moment of happiness that the boys get a look at the girl that Edward practically defiled on his parents' floor.

Edward, Jasper and Emmett share the same thought; _it's the girl from the lake_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Let Me In-Chapter Six**

It is not the socially unacceptable act of Edward's arousal at her proximity that made Isabella laugh; it is because she caught herself profoundly lustful of a human. Just a minute ago she felt self-conscious walking into his home, only to find that she was the one with the advantage.

Isabella is predator, a beautiful one at that and she forgot that a woman's beauty is an advantage. Her beauty had been a useful tool in her survival and would always be.

So as Edward gapes at 'the girl from the lake,' she picks herself off the floor and extends her hand with a dazzling smile, "I'm Isabella."

"Edward Cullen, please to meet you."

He clasps her hand and is prepared for another jolt and is not disappointed. Isabella's smile widens as their hands connect and electricity purrs between them. He excuses himself and proceeds upstairs back to his room while giving Emmett and Jasper a meaningful look. In turn, she gives Jasper and Emmett a friendly wave before they ascend. Tanya, not to be bested by Isabella, stomps upstairs after Edward.

Isabella does not take this personally. She is too elated at the moment. She found the entire situation hilarious because she was the one worrying about Edward and yet she is highly amused that she can get a reaction that intense from Edward. There is relief that Edward appears to feel the same gravitational attraction that she feels.

Esme seems to gather herself together, "well I'm sure you two have had enough excitement for one day. I hope you still want to move across the street from us after this."

As Esme takes the pair to her office, she hopes to engage them in conversation so that the incident does not make a prominent impression of her family in their minds. The more Esme learns about the Swans, the more she notices their peculiarity. The girl just does not act like a normal teenager. She assumes that because Isabella is home schooled she lacks some of the same social skills that most teenage girls have.

Esme also wonders how the Swans have acquired their fortune because Charlie is currently on sabbatical and never told her what field he worked in. She doesn't pry because she can tell he is uncomfortable discussing his wealth and she understands. She has been in the same position many times. Having money has provided her the luxury of raising her children and doing what she loves part-time, and people usually try to figure out how much the Cullens are worth. It is a distastefully annoying habit of many from this town.

She also notes that Charlie has not mentioned his wife during their entire exchange. He has only referred to 'us' as being himself and Isabella. Surely a teenage girl in a new town needs friends and a mother-figure.

"Why don't you stay in our guest house instead of the inn in town?"

The words are out of her mouth before she realizes that she has said them. She hasn't even consulted with Carlisle.

"That is so generous of you Mrs. Cullen, we would love to stay in your guest house, only if you allow us to pay you some sort of fee for your generosity."

It is Isabella who answers, not Charlie. Esme is taken back because she is still not use to Isabella's maturity.

"Oh, you two don't have to worry about paying us anything. The bill from the Agency is already outrageous and considering the incident you had to endure with my son, it's the least we can do until your home is ready."

Charlie looks worried and before he could say anything Esme smiles warmly, "you will not be imposing on us and I think Isabella and the kids will become great friends since they will be living so close."

Isabella cocks her head at this woman; she can see Esme frown as she takes in her piercing gaze. This human is pleasant but she is a bit presumptuous in speaking for her children and their friends. At this very moment Alice and Rosalie told the others that Isabella would be their next door neighbor. They were now discussing how they should proceed.

Isabella tunes out the teenagers upstairs when she hears Charlie's heartbeat accelerate as he accepts Esme's offer. He never questions Isabella's decisions regardless of the catalysts.

Charlie books a few appointments with Esme to discus the necessary renovations. It is all for appearances though because Esme looks like she already had everything planned. She confesses that she was trying to convince Carlisle to buy the house just so she could do the renovations, that way a family would be more likely to move in.

And so the two clients, now guests, bid Esme farewell only after promising the genial woman that they would return later in the week for dinner to officially meet Dr. Cullen. She hands them the key and assures them that they can move in that very night. Isabella and Charlie drive off as Esme tells her children and their friends the good news…they will have guests.

They return the rental car and purchase a new car before going to the shopping center to purchase some clothing items to look like they own more than the clothing on their backs.

Charlie is happy to have some stability even though he isn't sure how long it will last. Isabella can get bored with her prey sometimes. He notices that she is no longer interested in the little girl and he is relieved but he can see the way her eyes are trained on the boy. He likes Esme and doesn't want to bring any undue pain into her family so he prepares himself to talk with Isabella. He just wants to appeal to the goodness that he knows is within her to stop her from going after the boy.

Please do tell Charlie, what goodness do you see in Isabella?

Later that night after Esme helps Charlie and Isabella move into the guesthouse, Isabella steps outside in the dead of night. She is clad only in a sweater, jeans and some boots but she has no time to keep up appearances by donning a coat. She wanted to think. She is enamored by Edward and the relationships he has with his family, friends and even his girlfriend. It seems to be an anthropological study to her. For someone as unusual as Isabella, someone like Edward seems enthralling.

We find Isabella sitting in the snow behind the guest house staring into the trees surrounding the Cullen land. She hears footsteps' making temporary indentations in the snow as her visitor closes the distance between them. Of course she smells him and the aroma is mouthwatering.

"Isn't it a little too late to go wandering into the dark? You never know what's out there waiting for you."

"Are you trying to scare me off because I just came to say hello to the new neighbors and apologize for my earlier body slam. I was going to wait until the morning but I looked out the kitchen window and saw you."

Isabella chuckles to herself. She turns to see his amused green eyes and locks of bronze hair sticking from under his hat.

Standing up, she dusts the lingering snow from her clothing.

"Aren't you cold?"

Isabella looks at her sweater and jean clad frame and shakes her head to indicate her lack of feeling discomfort from the atmospheric temperature.

Edward shrugs and the two stand starring at each other. Isabella is comfortable with the silence as she retains all the physical information she can about Edward.

Edward notices that Isabella mannerisms are almost feral…especially when she cocks her head to the side and holds her body inhumanely still. She is shrouded in the darkness and he can barely see her features but she seems to glow and he remembers their first meeting.

"I want to know what happened at the lake and what happened to my sister."

Silence…

Edward sighs, "I know Carlie may have asked you not to tell us but it's important."

Silence…

"Are all women this stubborn?"

Edward is merely mumbling to himself and says it low enough that any normal person wouldn't have heard. Of course Isabella hears him clear as day and the phrase triggers a memory for Isabella that she would rather not relive. Faster than he could blink Isabella is in his face.

"What did you say?"

Her voice is measured and her eyes are black, she is a breath away from him. Edward is taken by the rapidity with which she moved but that's not what caused his brain to become unresponsive. It is her scent…she smells almost alluringly delectable…indescribable really.

He closes his eyes and inhales deeply wanting more of her scent to infiltrate his system. He doesn't understand why he never noticed it when he fell on her earlier. He must have been concentrating so hard on the physical reaction in his body that he missed this tantalizing scent.

It's bizarre…he isn't even aware that he is leaning in, until his lips graze hers.

He hears a low growl and feels the wind blow past his face…and just like that she is gone. As Edward's eyes open because her scent is no longer invading him, he sees a blur move towards the woods but he doesn't even see footsteps. His hands instinctively reach for his hair before he realizes that he has a hat.

_What was she doing to him_, first he nearly loses it after falling on her; now he's leaning in to kiss her without even realizing it.

He shakes his head and slowly walks into his home. He peers into the darkness one more time, in hopes of seeing her but it's like the encounter never happened, she's nowhere to be seen.

**Annotation: Please pardon me for the delay in posting, as we all know, life happens**


	7. Chapter 7

**Let Me In-Chapter Seven**

Edward can't get Isabella out of his head. His bed is suddenly too lonely and he is tossing and turning while dreaming of his new neighbor. His sheets are haphazardly tangled in his long legs as Dream Bella, as he is prone to calling her in his mind, has just straddled him.

Let's slowly back out of Edward's head to let him enjoy his wet dream with Bella.

On the other hand we should all be proud of Isabella.

Instead of gorging herself on Edward, she runs away. She is still running through the woods an hour later. She may not be thirsty but she sure is sexually frustrated. Her screech escalates as she shreds every piece of wood in her path. She wants Edward but in this heightened state she would surely kill him. She also wants him to want her…truly want her. She doesn't want her scent or her beauty to be the reason for his attraction; instead she wants him to let her into his world. She does not want him to descend into the darkness that is hers but surely he could raise her into the light. A sudden urge to be near him overtakes her and she is running back towards Forks.

As she slows near the Cullen home, she hears Edward's groan. He agile body curves languidly around the tree near his window and she leaps unto the ledge that he shares with his twin, Alice. The French doors open easily under her hands and she steps inside his room. She smells Edward's arousal and that ignites hers. Those chocolate brown human eyes instantly reform to their natural glowing red beauty. She climbs onto the bed without reservation and fights her instincts to take him as hard as she can. Ahhh…his scent is so…intoxicating. Her body adjusts to the room temperature instantly and she is thankful in that moment that her body can acclimate so easily to any surrounding temperature without doing her damage. Edward would surely be awakened by her frigid body if she had not been at room temperature.

Edward is sprawled on his back and his tent is proudly displayed through his thin boxers. She straddles him, being careful to not touch his erection; instead her face nears his as she breaths in his scent. A reflexive purr departs from her lips.

Edward's eyes are open and she freezes. He smiles at her but then frowns, "you know Dream Bella, your eyes are usually brown but I like the glowing red look. It's kinda gothic…maybe we should try role playing this time."

A quiet chuckle escapes from Isabella. He thinks he is dreaming. It's wonderful to know that she is the star of his dreams.

"I love your voice and your laugh and your scent" Edward seems to lack any filter when he is dreaming.

Isabella's smile widen as she takes in this human. He is very enjoyable, she even likes the new name he has given her…Bella. It seems lighter, less harsh. She cocks her head and look deep into his eyes, "I like the way you smell too. Can I taste you?"

"I thought you would never ask" Edward whispers sleepily.

Isabella knows it wrong…she knows she should abstain. She wants things to be different with Edward, she can easily give into her instincts and get carried away but this is too good to pass up.

Like a lioness about to strike, she arches her back. Edward's hands caress her hips and she gives his neck a long languid lick. Her breath hitches because he tastes even better than she imagine.

Just a little taste she assures herself. She won't even use her teeth, just a small cut that her venom can heal. If she uses just a little venom he won't turn.

Way to talk yourself into fondling a sleepy Edward Cullen, Isabella. Did you remember his girlfriend during this little pep talk? I guess not…

She uses her nail to make a long cut along his neck. The warm blood rises gracefully along the sleek line pooling and then slowly seeping along the length of his neck. Before a single drop could be wasted, Isabella's tongue meets the red wave leaking from Edward's neck. Her moan is sensual and Edward moans right along with her as his grip on her waist tightens. He is trying to push her down unto his erection but she is much stronger than him. So he bucks his hips upward and Isabella nearly loses it. She has to leave.

She allows some venom to pool in her mouth and smears a thin line over his cut. She watches the effect as his cut seals itself. She turns Edward's face towards her, "hey, I have to leave now."

Edward's face crumbles when he hears Dream Bella, "I don't want you to leave. Please stay with me."

"I'm sorry Edward. I'm bad for you, I can't stay."

He suddenly crushes Isabella to his chest hugging her tightly. She nestles into him, stealing one more moment before she has to return to reality. As she removes herself from him, she kisses his cheek and lingers so her scent can overpower him. His eyes drop and he whimpers as she edges away from him.

Before she changes her mind, she exits the same way she entered earlier. She quickly walks into the guesthouse and is not surprised to see Charlie up. She heard his heart beating loudly when she was walking over.

"Isabella, can we talk about the Cullens?"

Charlie is standing in their temporary living room. Her eyes are still dark and her red irises rise to meet Charles brown eyes.

It's time she levels with him. "I know Charlie."

Charlie is stunned at the way this creature is standing before him. She has never looked more like a seventeen year old girl than in that moment. Isabella has always been so sure of herself but now she looks like she doesn't know what to do. He can see her warring with herself. Doing what is right and what is natural has always been opposing acts. She would be fighting against what she had been taught, what she knows her entire life.

"I like him Charlie but I don't know how not to hurt him."

Charlie can't even stand anymore; he allows his body to sink into one of Esme's plush chairs. He has always hoped that Isabella would reconnect with her humanity but he never expected a teenage boy to be the catalyst.

"I know we should leave the family alone but I can't leave him. He makes me feel…different. I want to drink him all the time but I want to do other things too…I want to get to know him…I want him to like me."

Isabella's hair blocks her face from being exposed to Charlie as she confesses her feelings for Edward to her longtime human. She doesn't expect Charlie to give her an answer. She knows that he has never had that problem with Renee; Renee had returned Charlie's love without any reservations.

She did not even know how to love anymore; caring what happened to Charlie had been the closest thing to love she got to in a very long time. Her past had obscured her concept of love and even if Charlie died today she would simply move on with her existence. Now things were different, Edward had made things different. There was something in his touch that drew her.

At this point all she had was stolen affections at night and the hope that maybe they could be friends.

Well, well, well our Isabella almost seems human now…you better get your ice-skates on because hell has just


	8. Chapter 8

**Let Me In-Chapter Eight**

Renewed hope in one's humanity is a refreshing alternative to the darkened existence of carnage. Fresh air cleanses the restraints of our creature's past and releases her tortured psyche to reveal Bella…not Isabella. For you see, Bella has been uprooted from the dangerous evil that has existed for longer than any other; she floats to the surface for the first time in a very long time.

Carlie and Bella are sitting on the island in the Cullen kitchen enjoying Esme's famous blueberry pancakes when Edward walks in. He nearly trips over himself because he is wearing his usual pajama pants and white t-shirt while Bella sits talking to his mother and sister. Is it more disturbing that the girl he dreamt of all night is in his kitchen or the fact that he is seriously contemplating talking to his father about his obsession with her?

It's ok to be obsessive…sometimes.

"Oh, hey Isabella"

He is a bit apprehensive because the last time he was with her, he unknowingly tried to kiss her. At this point any judge would grant her a restraining order if she requested one.

"Oh, hi Edward," her eyes are alight with amusement as she smiles at him. He somehow feels blissful from the way her look infiltrates his soul.

As Edward takes a sip from the glass of milk his mother hands him, he notices that her eyes follow his every movement. He raises an eyebrow at her.

"Oh by the way, you can call me Bella, I like the way it sounds." 

Carlie nearly falls off her chair as she laughs at Edward because as soon as Bella finishes her sentence, Edward nearly snorts milk from his nose. He wonders if he subconsciously uttered his secret pet name for Isabella. He has an odd feeling that this is a new development; she never introduced herself as Bella until now.

**::::**

And so begins Bella's friendship with Edward.

At first Carlisle and Esme were worried that Bella and Edward's natural chemistry would interfere with his relationship with Tanya. Yet as they noticed the pair, they saw how Bella never did anything inappropriate. In fact it seemed like she was treating Edward as if he was made of porcelain. She would never let her skin come in contact with anyone, not even Edward and Carlie, whom she was the closest to. Tanya and Rosalie were hard on her when they all started spending time together, but their snide remarks never seemed to bother her. Eventually Rosalie got over her anxiety about Bella shifting the balance in the group and she relented from her abrasive demeanor. Tanya, on the other hand, never took to Bella like the others did. She believed in her heart that there was something wrong with Bella…the girl just acted off. So she made it a point to make Bella feel like she was an outcast in the group.

Tanya's efforts were futile because Bella was accepted by everyone else. Her melodious giggles could be heard from the back yard whenever she joined Emmett and Carlie on their sledding expeditions. Carlie's breathless laughter and squeals along with Emmett and Bella's competitive banter usually lured Edward, Jasper and Alice from the house. And since Tanya acted like Edward's chaperone, she would eventually amble outside. Soon it turned into a race to see who got down the hill first. Bella had never been this free, her icy snow covered body felt agile as the wind whipped her hair behind her. The voices of her new friends all faded into the background as she released herself to the elements, she had never felt more vulnerable or more liberated.

Had she been paying attention instead of frolicking in the snow with her new comrades, she would have felt His presence. She would have felt the inevitable pull that linked them beyond the span of time. She would have felt the hardened eyes that watched her brighten when a meager human male hugged her because she won the sled race.

But Bella isn't the same. She isn't vigilant anymore…she was just…happy…finally happy.

Her happiness allows her to easily converse with Edward and soon he lures her into the world of music. Since Edward is a music aficionado, this is his domain. The first time she enters Edward's room with his permission she is taken aback by the neatness, she is sure that teenage boys are suppose to be dirty. Maybe Esme and Carlisle have a genetic component that makes their children prone to tidiness. Her mouth is agape at the wide selection of music that covers Edward's wall. He has a custom built shelving unit that has archives of music. Bella spends hours in Edward's room using his sophisticated sound system to listen to all the music he has collected in his short life. Tanya does not hide her outrage when she learns that their friendship has evolved so that they are spending hours in his room alone. If she did not know Edward as well as she does, she would have thought he was cheating.

He wasn't…but he really wanted to…well he doesn't want to cheat per se…he just wants to be with Bella.

Her presence stirs something in him that had been dormant. He had become complacent in life like so many of us...doing the same thing day in and day out, not stepping out of our comfort zones but remaining squarely in the box like good little sheep.

And where there are sheep, there are wolves.

His revelation occurs when he noticed that it was difficult for Bella to be close with anyone. She seemed to naturally shy away from people. She isn't even close with her father even though Charlie seems utterly devoted to her. It reminds him of his relationship with Tanya; Tanya is devoted to him but he has never been able to return the sentiment. Now they argue about the way she treats Bella; yet their arguments skirt the real problem

He is in a relationship of convenience.

It hadn't really dawned on him that he's with Tanya because that's what his friends and family always expected. And no one could live up to expectations like Edward Cullen. Yet it is this strange girl that lives next door that makes him stop and think. She does not act like everyone expects. She does not act like a daughter; she doesn't even act like a teenager. He can't even put a finger on it…she acts like…Bella. That's it; she acts like herself…not what's expected.

So when his ever rambunctious twin, Alice, suggests one of her over-the-top ideas he does not dismiss it like he usually does; this floors Alice to the point of speechlessness. And Alice Cullen is never speechless.

Alice was ready to beg her brother to go because she knew that Bella would only go if he went; but she didn't have to beg because he said yes!

They are going to a nightclub. That's one of the places that you never thought you'd see a Cullen but Alice's heart is set on attending because her favorite band is going to perform for New Year's.

She's never been to a club and wants to know what all the excitement is about. Their vacation is almost over and she wants to at least do something spectacular for the New Year. So now that she has a yes from Edward, Alice sets her eyes on Bella. She knows she can use the fact that Edward will be there as bait for Bella to attend.

**::::**

It's during Christmas dinner that Alice corners Bella in the kitchen as the two of them get dessert. The house is packed as usual. The McCarthy's, Hales and Denali's are present and this year the Swans are added to the mix. Christmas dinner was fun, as usual, but Alice was antsy all night…She wants to get Bella alone.

Bella is contemplative as Alice gives her the best puppy dog eyes. She explains that since Bella is one of them now, she wants her to join them at the club to celebrate New Year. She also knows that Edward has drawn her into the world of music and she would love the band that's going to be there. Bella doesn't see a problem with going to the club since she has sometimes used some seedy clubs as hunting grounds; it's just that she doesn't want to be bothered with unwanted male attention when she's there.

It always ends the same way…Bella invites them to a secluded place with promises of pleasure, which may or may not happen, then she feeds. But she can't do that this time because she has company. Maybe it's not a bad idea to go out with her _friends_…it's still odd for her to think of herself as having _friends_…and to Alice's delight, she acquiesces.

Edward can see Alice's giddy joy when she brings out the dessert to the table and he knows that Bella has said yes. He chances a peek at Bella and she shrugs when their eyes meet. He laughs because they both understand that sometimes the simplest things make Alice happy. That very night, as a Christmas gift to the Swans, Esme gives Charlie the keys to their completed home. Tanya breaths a sigh of relief that there will be a few more feet separating Edward and Bella but she is still peeved that Alice asked Bella to the club with them.

It doesn't take much for Bella and Charlie to move across the street. They only have to move their clothing because Esme had brand new furniture in the house. Yet Bella is miffed at the amount of clothing Alice has made her purchase in such as short period of time. This is why she is weary when she accompanies Alice, Rosalie and Tanya to go shopping for their New Year's club outfit. Alice tells them that it's an upscale club so she emphasizes that the outfit should be 'sexy not slutty', she gives Tanya a pointed look during her speech. Bella and Rosalie try to stifle a laugh but they are hopeless. After Tanya storms off, Bella watches Rosalie and Alice run after her in an attempt to calm her.

Bella takes the opportunity to look for a dress on her own. She does not even recollect the last time she made an effort to put a dress on much less one that's sexy. She finds a cocktail dress by Armani and some platform leather pumps by Yves Saint Laurent, she also picks up a black Burberry trench coat and some black leather gloves. She has no idea who these designers are; she just memorized the list that Alice told her was acceptable to purchase from. Her purchase is complete by the time Alice, Rosalie and Tanya return from soothing Tanya's bruised ego. They look at Bella like she is insane when she tells them she is done. Alice bustles over to look at her purchases and surprisingly approves.

When Bella notices that her three shopping buddies are taking a long time, she leaves her purchases with the nice salesgirl who Alice is keeping on her toes and she takes a walk. Now that she isn't entirely absorbed with her human companions, instincts take over. She starts observing her surroundings and abruptly stops when she senses someone is watching her. Something is amiss… there seems to be a ghost of a shadow in the corner of her eyes. She returns back to the Alice and the others. She's happy to see all three are done shopping and ready to leave. After tucking their purchases safely in the car, they head home. Bella feigns exhaustion to deny Alice's request for her to come over. Instead she waves to Carlie and Edward who are peering at her from their front window. After bidding the ladies farewell, she enters her home.

No one seems to be home.

Dumping her purchases in her newly decorated bedroom, she runs into the woods behind the house. She has been so caught up with the humans that she fails to notice the unusual.

She is deep in the woods, standing silently; her form is cloaked in the long gnarled shadows of barren winter trees. She is waiting. Slowly she is falling back into her darkness, slowly she is losing her humanity, and slowly she is getting stronger. Her nostrils flare.

Our Isabella has returned…Bella is long gone.

From the moment she sensed Him during her shopping trip, Bella scurries away. It is apparent that a schism has occurred in our lovely creature…one part Bella, one part Isabella. Now that Isabella is back she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, her head rocks back, she licks her lips tasting the air. Her face grimaces in the duality of pleasure and pain as she tastes Him on the wind. His scent is everywhere…it surrounds her house…it surrounds the Cullen home…how could she miss it?

He's here…He's come back for her.

Let the chaos begin…

**Annotation: So I haven't done a proper lemon in this fanfic and I'm on the fence as to whether or not I will do one…let me know (via reviews or PMs) if you want lemon(s)… Also now that you have seen the more humane side of Isabella (i.e. Bella), who do you love more…Bella or Isabella? Frankly I prefer Isabella…thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Let Me In-Chapter Nine**

**Annotation: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/sent me a private message concerning my questions from the last chapter. The consensus is that you all want lemons…I still cannot guarantee them but if it fits into this story, I will not hesitate to add them…**

I thank you thus far for indulging Isabella…for letting her in…yet it has come to my attention that this is not an equal relationship.

You let her in but she has failed to return the gesture…

Haven't you wondered about our sickly sweet Isabella?

Don't you want to get to know her?

If I open the door, will you come in?

She spends that entire night running…chasing His scent. When she believes He is at her fingertips, she falters then loses Him.

He has always been the perfect consciousness to her unbridled destructive energy. Yet she always seemed to dwell within a realm of chaos when they were together. Her destructiveness led to unchecked feasts on human blood. Thus, He had used reason to explain that they had to sever their union; they could no longer dwell together.

And with that He was gone…

Her only equal was there and then He was not…it didn't hinder her.

Because as the intoxication of His presence faded and time plowed on, Isabella continued…soon she had Charlie and now she has the Cullens…His was no more…until last night.

She needs to quickly uncover His motives for returning…she knows that little can entertain an immortal like chaos.

If He is here to release chaos into her world, then her humans will be the first to suffer.

She does not return home the next day; instead she traces His lingering scent through the woods. Mostly she discovers that He stood in the woods watching.

Patiently waiting and watching…the Cullen home was always in His line of sight and so was Isabella's.

Time has no meaning…she is consumed by Him and she almost forgets that she has to meet her humans to celebrate a new year. If He was keeping and eye on her, she did not want to be around the Cullens; however if she abandons them now, they may be in greater danger.

Isabella heads for home and brusquely enters the house; Charlie shoots up from his chair as if he had been waiting for her.

Before she can ascend to prepare, she hears him clear his throat. She turns glaring at her human who appears taken back by her appearance. Charlie's brown eyes are sad once more because the lovely girl he has seen developed due to the Cullens' influence has vanished. Instead our creature stands in her place.

"Alice kept calling to remind you of your New Year's plans and she was worried that you weren't with them yesterday."

Isabella nods but does not respond. She continues towards her room to prepare.

As she leaves the house and enters the car, she calls Alice.

"Bella! I was so worried that you changed your mind and you weren't coming…I was ready to come over to your house to drag you out…but I'm happy you called because we're getting ready and we're all going to split up into two cars. You can ride with me and Jasper..."

After almost two days in the tranquil silence of the woods, Alice's voice is like a torrential downpour. Charlie was a naturally quiet man, so Isabella is used to his quiet way of talking. Alice on the other hand, exudes energy; Isabella has not said one word in the two minutes that she has been on the phone with Alice.

"Alice! I'll meet you at the Lounge; I have an errand to run."

With that she hangs up the phone.

**::::**

Sam was the last meal Isabella had. She intends to change that before the night begins. She needs to be at her most powerful if she has to defend her humans.

Parking the car on a dead end street near the Lounge's parking lot gives her the luxury of moving within the shadows. She wishes her platform heels weren't so noisy and that her black dress didn't caress her curves so closely but it allows her to use her appearance to her advantage.

Her trench coat is open and her black gloves adorn her slim fingers as she beckons to a drunken man who gapes at her as he passes by. This stunning woman has captured his attention and he abandons his New Year's plans to turn around and follow.

Maybe we should have warned him…maybe we should have shouted to the drunken slob to run as fast as he can in the opposite direction…but then again I know we have an acute sense of self preservation…so as bad as it sounds…at least it's him and not us…

Because he does follow her into a dark side street; he stumbles as he nearly drools at what could be the definition of beauty before him…

And with a kiss to the cheek, his eyes flutter close…he wants to savor the moment that this striking stranger first touches his flesh. So like a lover in ecstasy, Isabella moans as she gently touches her lips to his neck…right near a throbbing vein…let the feast begin…

As red ambrosia pours down her throat she senses something in his blood but she does not relent. His body is drained in mere minutes; she usually takes more time but she wants to return before the humans arrive.

Out of the dark shadows, Isabella emerges; her lips are stained red. They have been stained so many times with the blood of others that the color had taken a special place in her heart.

In a beautifully twisted way, she looks even more appealing with the red hue on her lips. A languid smile spreads on her face as she walks towards the Lounge.

She is drunk from her victim's blood.

A giggle bubbles from her lips, startling her as she realizes this. This feeling was the reason she enjoyed gorging herself on human blood when she was with Him.

She decides to have another and she walks pass a large inebriated man. She gives him a discreet wink before walking down another dark alley. That wink was all the encouragement he needed to follow her.

Before his blurry vision can acclimate to this darkened place, he feels a cold kiss on his neck. A wavy smile lights his face and before it can reach his eyes, his blood is rushing down her throat. She presses this hulking man's neck to her lips and fills herself.

He is near.

This only heightens her senses and causes her to reflexively pull the blood into her body with more urgency.

She tosses the carcass into an open dumpster as her retreating heels click their way to the Lounge. Her pale skin has an air of luminosity due to her fresh kills and her lips are literally blood red…with her darkened eyelashes and the sculpted bun on top of her head, Isabella is mouth-watering.

As she reaches the Lounge, she sees Alice and Jasper near the entrance. That's when she sees that there are valets at this place. She is pleased that she was able to avoid them; they won't connect her to the bodies.

"Wow! You look amazing," Alice breaths as Isabella approaches them.

She smiles fondly at her two humans, Jasper is currently at a loss of words but he allows the two ladies to lead as he follows.

"I love you lipstick! You have to let me borrow it some time. And aren't you freezing with your coat open like that?"

Alice is talking a mile a minute as she links her arm with Isabella's. Isabella merely smiles back at her human; rapture courses through her body.

Yes the blood of drunken humans was a tasty choice for this particular situation.

They walk pass the long line of patrons outside the building. Alice turns on her charm and speaks to the human she knows while Isabella peers inside to find Edward.

Once they gain entry and deposit their coats, they form a link to navigate through the crowd of people.

Alice and Jasper see the rest of the group before Isabella, who is distracted by His sensation. She doesn't think He is inside the club but He feels so near. She turns to scan the crowd just to make sure that her meals have not completely made her senses deteriorate.

She hears and audible gasp from her human males but remains with her back to them as she continues scanning.

It's because Isabella's dress was deceiving upon first glance. The boat neck of the black silk dress does not offer any cleavage yet the back of the dress plunges dangerously low to expose one of the sexiest features of a woman…her back.

Isabella's creamy pale back is exposes, showing her toned muscles and defines curves; this dress accentuates and distinguishes her as a woman, not a teenager.

Isabella turns her attention back to her humans and smiles at Edward.

Her eyes are trained on his Adams Apple as it bobs while he gulps.

He feels a familiar stirring within him because she looks divine. He has never seen her look so appealing and although he is aware that he is probably staring too long, he can't help it.

So he does the only thing he can think of, her returns her smile with a crooked grin that he has reserved for her and her alone.


	10. Chapter 10

**Let Me In-Chapter Ten**

Isabella says hello to all her humans but she never takes her eyes off Edward. She can even taste Tanya's jealousy in the air. The others can see the obvious chemistry between Isabella and Edward so they all move to diffuse the situation.

Rosalie and Alice take turns dancing with Isabella and Emmett takes Edward to find drinks for the entire group. Jasper sits with Tanya trying to assure her that nothing has happened between Edward and Isabella. He doesn't think anything will ever happen between the two but then again Isabella is acting really weird tonight. He wanted to ask Alice if she notices anything but he doesn't want to interrupt their night.

The band gets on stage and that's when the girls separate. They are pushed and pulled away from each other as drunken women crowd the dance floor to get a better glimpse at the band. Bella is too elated to notice that her dancing partners, Rosalie and Alice, are no longer near her. Instead she stumbles from the crowd of people into a dark corner near another table.

That's when she feels His touch.

He is here; she just failed to notice again.

"I've missed you so much Isabella. It's been hard staying away from you."

His voice is like velvet, if that's achievable. Even to her acute senses, He is melodious in every form. She remembers His words from long ago, telling her that she is too rash. She remembers recoiling from the sting of that comment. She remembers steeling herself for when He would no longer want to be in her presence. She is even surprised that she is holding up so well under the circumstances.

She turns to face her other half and she becomes still. That's when it all makes sense to her. Maybe she was deluding herself into thinking that it was Edward's good demeanor that attracted her. Yet she was wrong. She initially wanted Edward because he looked so much like Him but they are two different people. They have two completely different effects on her.

He is like Edward's doppelganger; the resemblance between these two men is staggering.

Isabella and Bella were two distinct creatures. It seems that Isabella had lost her humanity and He was her male equivalent. Yet in Edward, she had found her humanity. She found her capacity to more than a lover of carnage. She discovered that she could be Bella. She was a creature most foul but she had a taste of what it felt like to belong and she is not willing to give that up for Him.

"It seems that you missed me too. Your human pet, Edward, resembles me. In fact it seems that he is my descendant."

He chuckles and for the first time Isabella spoke, "Mason, what do you want?"

Her voice is measured. She feels light-headed because it has dawned on her that she is in a dangerous situation.

She always thought Mason was her soul mate. She thought he was so perfectly matched to her, that they were meant to be. Yet she could never get over the fact that he made her more ruthless. He brings out the worst in her.

Maybe our Isabella was afraid to admit that he wasn't for her until she met Edward.

Now it seems that she had been attracted to Mason because he was related to her actual soul mate. Her other half had not been born yet; her tether to Edward is so strong that she had formed a bond with one of his ancestors without the knowledge of his existence. Edward was the best part of her. He made her better. He made her want to be better and he allowed her to feel for the first time without having to manipulate her.

These thoughts run through Isabella's mind while she remains locked in Mason's arms. He is stoking her bare back and they appear to be two lovers in an embrace. She keeps her face smooth and free of emotion because he would end Edward if he found out his relevance to Isabella.

"Dance with me."

He starts to pull her into the crowd but she hesitates. She wants to keep him far away from the Cullens. So she shakes her head and scans the crowd. His chest vibrates as a growl begins to build.

"I'm sick and tired of you demeaning yourself by pretending that you're human. You need to accept that they are the prey and you are the predator. You need another life lesson and I'm going to begin with Charlie!"

Then it is as if he was never there. Mason leaves her standing alone in the dark corner.

She stumbles back and she nearly crashes into some people standing near. She needs to leave; Charlie is hers and she needs to protect him.

Isabella plows through the crowd and sees Alice. She doesn't have time to tell everyone so she hopes that Alice would understand why she needs to leave.

She holds the small human by the shoulders and looks her in the eye, "Alice, I need to leave…Charlie's in trouble!"

She doesn't wait for a response; she simply turns around and stumbles through the crowd. She is aware that there must be more than alcohol in her meal's blood because she feels unbalanced.

Leaving her coat behind, she shrouds herself in darkness as she makes her way to her car. She is on the highway in less than five minutes. The lines of the highway are blurred and soon the twists and turns are sharper than before.

She is in the midst of making a sharp right turn when Mason steps in front of her car. Reflexes take over and she swerves to miss him.

The sound of metal and wood coming together is a grating echo that causes Nature herself to groan. The car is wrapped around the tree in the aftermath and a small fire erupts.

Isabella extracts herself from the car as soon as she hears Mason's laughter.

This is a game to him.

Her rage binds her to wet ground as a frustrated growl escapes her throat. She needs to move quickly because she can hear the gas dripping as the small fire is eager to engulf the remnants of wood and metal.

She drags herself away from the vehicle and the snow becomes tainted with the fluids coursing through Isabella's body. She turns to look at the sky; waiting for her body to mend itself but the dense trees obscures her view. She is so weary and angry. Mason is on his way to Charlie while she waits for her body to heal.

It is mere minutes, but that is enough time for Mason to get to Charlie before she can.

She is irritated as she flings her pumps into a snow bank and takes off running.

Good job Isabella, why would you waste perfectly good YSL pumps? You could have given it to one of us, I'm sure we would have taken better care of eight hundred dollar shoes.

She is still hazy and nearly crashes into a few trees but her determination to save Charlie is stronger. She is on the doorsteps of their home when she hears Charlie's shriek. The door succumbs to her body hitting it full force.

Mason has Charlie pinned to a chair, glaring at the man.

Mason understands that Charlie and the Cullens have taken a special place in Isabella's heart...one that can no longer contain him. He has always hoped that she would love him. He never saw why she couldn't love him. He allowed her to be the vilest creature that she wanted and he never chastised her for her behavior. And still she couldn't love him.

Well Mason, maybe it's because you left out the part about being a sociopath.

Now she's allowing humans to take his place in her life. He never thought they would truly loose contact with each other. He didn't want to think that it was so easy for her to forget him. He thought she would run back to him telling him how lonely she was. When they were together, he made sure that their relationship was her only priority; that their relationship consumed all her time. He isolated her from everything. He wanted her dependant on him but it only seemed to make her more resistant to his efforts.

He is infuriated with this human before him. He wants to end the lives of all those that had taken her from him.

Mason has only begun with Charlie.

Edward is next on his list.


	11. Chapter 11

**Let Me In-Chapter Eleven**

Isabella's growl shatters the silent night as she sees Mason twisting Charlie's arm.

Their bodies impact when Isabella lunges at Mason with a force that propels them through a window and into the nearby woods. She is weakened from the earlier car crash so her strength fails to withstand Mason's.

He easily launches her into a sturdy tree while he returns inside to retrieve Charlie. Charlie was trying to drag his maimed body to the Cullens, but he is unable to move with enough momentum. Mason smirks at the human's attempt to evade his superior strength and speed.

If any of Charlie's neighbors looked out the window, they would see a predator at its finest.

Mason is almost euphoric as he circles Charlie in the middle of the darkened road. Charlie only sees a fast moving blur that he assumes is the creature that attacked him. He knows that this creature must be the same as his Isabella and he is worried about her. He wanted to get help from the Cullens after he saw Isabella attack the man, but he can't move fast enough. His heartbeat accelerates, not because he is fearful of what could happen to him, but because he is fearful of what the man will do to his Isabella. Charlie knows that he isn't as strong as Isabella, but that never prevented him from not wanting to protect her. His only hope now is to distract this thing long enough so that Isabella can get away.

So Charlie makes a decision to give up his life for Isabella's while standing in a poorly lit snow covered street. He doesn't care what happens to him, he just knows that he has the opportunity to protect Isabella and he will take it.

He steels himself against the unforeseen force that surely would end his life. Mason is surprised when Charlie looks like he is getting ready for battle. He notices that the man's heart has decelerated as if preparing for what is about to come and he gains a bit of respect for this human.

He crouches ready to take one of Isabella's valued pets when his form is bathed in light from a car turning the corner.

**::::**

When Isabella left, Alice told the others that she seemed frazzled and went to help Charlie. Edward and Alice went to look for her but they saw her drive away before they could reach her. They drove after her, but she was too fast. Soon they fell behind.

It was only when they came upon a car crash that they realized, she was lost forever. No one could survive that trauma; and Edward felt himself shatter because Isabella was dead. He didn't understand his reaction but he went into a panic attack after they stopped their car. Alice had to calm him before they both made the decision to tell Charlie in person.

**::::**

So imagine their surprise when they see Charlie standing in the middle of the street bleeding while a very strange looking man is crouching before him. This isn't even a man; he seems to be more of an animal.

Mason briefly turns to gaze upon the two teenagers in the car. Both Alice and Edward see his red eyes glinting against his wretchedly pale skin. He looks sickly because the skin surrounding his eyes seemed to be deeply bruised. It's as if the veins around his eyes are engorged with coagulated blood.

Mason stands tall and smirks at Edward, ignoring Charlie for a moment to take in his next victim. He is elated that Edward is present to experience the anguish on Isabella's face as he destroys Charlie.

Edward visibly cringes at the hatred embedded on this man's face. But it isn't his sharp white teeth or his abnormal eyes that disturbed Edward the most, it's the resemblance. It's like looking at a self portrait come to life. This man looks like Edward.

Before Edward can turn to look at Alice to ask her why the man looks so much like him, they see a thinner body in a tattered and burnt black dress launch itself at him.

Isabella uses Mason's distraction to slam him with as much force as possible. She causes them to fall into the snow, tumbling down the hill.

"Shit Edward, I think that was Bella!"

Alice's eyes are wide as she glances at her brother. They look at each other for a millisecond before Edward turns off the car and they both step out running after the entangled bodies.

Charlie is ahead of them though. He is screaming with all his might to leave Bella alone as he pushes his broken body to move faster.

The human body is incredible and can achieve great things under stress. Sometimes we can find the strength in ourselves to perform impossible tasks when our loved ones are in danger.

Charlie finds that strength in him for Isabella.

Mason has Isabella by the throat as he crushes her body to his. Her back is flattened against his chest and he is squeezing her throat causing small cracks to develop along her neck, marring her unblemished skin.

Charlie jumps on Mason's back, wrapping his arms around his neck in a choke-hold. He uses his fingers to push into Mason's eyes before going back to tightening his hold on him. Mason cries in anguish as Charlie's fingers dig into his eyes and he releases Isabella out of surprise and anger.

He is done playing with his food.

Charlie is sent flying into the air and a sickening crack is heard as his torso is caught by the hardened ground. Alice screams as she sees Charlie's mangled body and she turns to vomit. Edward is more determined to get Bella out of this creature's grasp once he sees the damage it inflicts on her father.

What Mason didn't realize was that it was a mistake to ever threaten Isabella's loved ones. Because the same strength that Charlie called upon when Isabella was in danger is now spurring Isabella into an uncontrollable frenzy.

She screeches causing Edward and Alice to cover their ears and cringe. They look up when they hear a thunderous crack.

Venom pools in Isabella's mouth and her eyes are red as unimaginable power surges through her body. She is lethal as she meticulously severs Mason's head.

Our creature is disturbingly beautiful as she moves with grace; like a dance on the banks of the Seine River she waltzes from one part of his body to another. She moves too quickly for Mason and his face remains in a surprised look as he falls apart.

The grotesque magnificence of the scene cements Edward where he stands. Both he and Alice watch as Isabella starts a fire with dry twigs and toss the man's body into the burning flames.

Isabella only has the purest rage flowing through her as she clinically continues with the task of amassing Mason's body to burn. Her ire is only tempered when she hears the faint heartbeat coming from the broken Charlie who still lies in a crumbled heap.

She moves quickly to him and falls on her hands and knees. She cradles his head in her arms as she looks into his eyes. They are glassy and he seems to be looking beyond her into another dimension; one she can never reach. Weariness descends on Isabella and she slumps forward hovering over Charlie as she begins to weep. She seems so young and vulnerable in that moment.

"Please don't leave me…"

Her voice is like a child's; so different for the assassin that Edward witnessed a second ago. He is roused from his state of inaction by her plea and he slowly walks towards her.

Isabella doesn't notice Edward's advancing form and she blocks out Alice's sobs. All she sees is Charlie. She now understands how much Charlie loves her. She never allowed herself to let anyone in before Charlie and his pain deeply cuts her. She is consumed by the grief of being without him and she has never felt so weak.

Charlie's gaze shifts to really see Isabella, to really see the person behind the red eyes and sharp teeth. She is just a girl. He has always known that she needed love and that was all he gave. He treated her as if she was his child because she was the child he never had. Although he is looking forward to being reunited with his wife Renee, he doesn't want to loose Isabella.

"Hey, look at me." Charlie's voice is weak as blood leaks from his body, "I'll always be with you and just remember that I love you and I always will."

Charlie closes his eyes and sighs deeply; and with a smile on his face, held in the arms on his impromptu daughter, Charlie Swan is reunited with his wife, Renee.

"Wake up!"

Isabella's voice is filled with anguish. She gives Charlie's body a pleading stare as if looking at him will wake him from his eternal slumber.

"Please don't go, please don't go Charlie. I'm so sorry I've been bad. Don't leave me, I'll be good again."

Grief is a sentient being that graces us with it's presence in waves. Grief settles on Isabella causing her to wail and rock back and forth. She has never succumbed to such weakness.

She has lost too much blood.

She lies next to Charlie but her body is not attempting to heal itself because there isn't enough blood in her system. The cracks in her neck from Mason's hands are still apparent and she welcomes the pain that she feels. She knows she needs blood but as she lies next to her dead Charlie surrounded by a mixture of his blood and her venom, she can think of no reason for her to make an effort to save herself…

That is until she sees Edward in her line of sight.

His face is above hers and she smiles at her heart's desire.

"Bella, please let me help you."

"No Edward, I should have died instead of Charlie. He was good…and I'm not."

"No, don't say that. You don't know what it was like when I thought you were dead. I…I…need you to live…I don't care what you are…just please tell me what to do to help you."

Isabella cocks her head slightly and looks at Edward. _He wants her?_

Her gaze pierces him, "promise me, you won't tell anyone what you saw tonight. You can't tell them what I am."

"Yes, anything…I promise and Alice won't say anything either."

She turns to look at Alice, who nods weakly while kneeling in the snow.

She returns to marvel at Edward's tender look. He seems desperate to help her, to make the pain go away, "I need…blood…to live."

"Then take mine," Edward's voice does not falter as he brings his wrists to her lips.


	12. Chapter 12

**Let Me In-Chapter Twelve**

Ahhh sweet Ambrosia from the gods could never taste as good as Edward Cullen.

Her lips part as the sharpness of her teeth merely grazes his skin. His blood immediately surfaces from the cut and starts pouring into her mouth.

Isabella can hear Alice asking Edward if he thought this was a good idea.

I know what we're all thinking, shut up Alice. It's an excellent idea.

All falls away as Isabella tastes Edward's blood. It satisfies her on so many levels. She doesn't realize that if she drinks from her soul mate, she is bound to him for eternity. The moment his blood enters into her being, she is his and he is hers. They are mated.

She pulls his wrist closer and laps up every drop. She has never tasted anything so satisfying in all her life. Her body instantaneously starts to heal itself since Edward's blood is so potent to her system. She releases his wrist with a gasp and moves to push herself away from him. This is too addictive; she doesn't ever want to stop.

Edward grabs her hand as she is about to leave. "Bella, I know what you're thinking. Don't do it, don't leave."

Red meets green as they look into each other's eyes. There is only silence. Bella can almost feel Edward's sadness and desperation. It makes it impossible to go but she has to be honest with him.

"Edward, I haven't tasted anything that even compares to your blood. I don't think I can stay here without feeding on you. I have to leave…"

"Then only drink from me, I don't mind. I…I…can't explain it. I can't even…I mean now that you're part of my life, I can't imagine you not being around…I don't even think I'm making sense."

Of course you're not making sense Edward. You've just bonded with Isabella and now you can't be without her…but we're going to let you find out on your own.

"Ok…I can stay for a while but we need to explain what happened here."

Edward wants to argue with her. He wants to convince her that she should never leave him. Yet he cannot find a valid reason for asking a girl he hasn't known for very long to commit herself to him.

So he nods and gives her a smile.

Alice regards the scene around them. "Bella, I don't know what you are or what that guy was but I know you're good. And I think I have an idea of how to explain what happened."

They reluctantly leave Charlie's body in the snow and head back to the car. Alice notes that Edward and Bella walk in sync; they seem to naturally position themselves near each other.

She shakes her head to clear her thoughts as they near the car. She tells Bella and Edward her idea and they both comply.

**::::**

Soon the flashing lights from police vehicles cover the street. Isabella gives her statement to the police and so do Alice and Edward. Charlie's body is removed and taken to the morgue. There is no evidence that there was a fire because of Isabella's quick clean up of Mason's remains.

Edward calls Carlisle and Esme after they speak with police, then they enter the Cullen home to wait for their arrival. While they are sitting at the dining room table with a few policemen and detectives, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie and Tanya return from the club. They left early because they became worried when Alice and Edward did not return their calls or texts.

That's when Isabella tells the others the fabricated version of what happened to them.

She left the club because she didn't want her father to celebrate New Years alone. She gave Alice an excuse so they wouldn't feel guilty. She was very upset when she found out that her car was stolen but she took an expensive cab ride to her house instead of calling the police and wasting time. She decided that she would file a report in the morning. She was watching television with her father when they were subject to a home invasion. The men who entered their home threatened to rape her and Charlie lost it. Edward and Alice were on their way to find Bella when they thought she was killed after seeing the aftermath of a car accident. They were on their way to tell Charlie in person when they walked in on Charlie fighting with the assailants. They tried to intervene but Charlie put himself between the teenagers and the men. He lost his life defending them. When the men realized that they had killed Charlie, they took off in Edward's car; which could not be found.

Of course Isabella had time to drive the car to questionable neighborhood and run back before the police even arrived. The car is probably being taken apart in a chop shop.

They are horrified when Isabella finishes.

She is still heartbroken over Charlie's death and she blames herself for not being able to save him. Her emotions are evident on her face. They all give her a hug, even Tany,a and they weep as she curls up in the chair and sobs. She covers her face but the heart wrenching sobs that escape her causes everyone to feel her torment.

The detectives insist that Bella be examined by a physician. Edward takes them aside to assure them that no harm was done to her and he will take her to the emergency room himself if he sees anything out of the ordinary. They are not pacified by the seventeen-year old.

Esme and Carlisle walk into their home to see Bella crying and rocking herself in attempt to seek comfort. The other teenagers are weeping while their son speaks to some detectives. Esme voice is a bit frantic, "is Carlie alright? What happened to you kids?"

"Hey mom," Alice runs to give her mother a hug. She feels like she is five years old again and she wants to just be held by her mother. "Carlie is asleep in her room. We sent the babysitter home." Alice doesn't move from her mother's embrace as she looks up at her, "Mom, Charlie was killed tonight."

Esme's eyes immediately travel to the distressed Bella sobbing on the chair. "Oh no," she briefly pulls Alice closer into a tight hug before going to Bella. "Sweetheart, let me see you. Are you hurt?"

Bella continues rocking and cries harder when she hears Esme's voice. She feels Esme's arms embrace her small frame and soon she has her face buried in Esme's shoulder. Before getting to know the Cullens, Bella only focused on how mouthwatering their scent was. Now Esme's scent is comforting.

Carlisle gets the facts from the policemen and the detectives. He notes Bella's tattered clothes and he is about to agree with the other detectives that Bella should be examined but Edward vehemently protests. He doesn't understand why his son is acting this way but he knows that Edward must have a good reason. He dissuades the detectives from forcing Bella to be examined. He makes arrangements to keep Bella. He doesn't want her to become a ward of the state. He also prepares to take over funeral arrangements for Charlie after the autopsy. Carlisle wants to be involved in the investigation. He wants the perpetrators to be caught and punished because he knows that Charlie was all Bella had left.

Soon the detectives and policemen leave. The teenagers also go to their respective homes with heavy hearts. It was an unpleasant way to ring in the New Year.

Esme takes the time to show Bella to the guest room where she will be staying. It's near Edward's room and she can see her house across the street.

Alice, Carlisle and Edward all come in to say good night. Esme is reluctant to leave but Bella insists that she want to shower and be alone for some time. She dresses in Alice's borrowed-clothing after her shower and sits on the bed staring at her home. There is bright yellow police tape across her door and the house looks foreign to her. She shuts the blinds and walks downstairs into the kitchen.

Darkness and silence are her only company.

She sits on a barstool looking at nothing in particular, feeling emotions she has never had to deal with when she hears footsteps descending from the second floor. She can feel him before he enters.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were here. I couldn't sleep either." Edward's voice stirs something inside her. She is so numb from the hurt she feels from losing Charlie that it is refreshing to feel something else.

Bella turns to look at him. His features are beautiful in the darkness and she can hear the blood rushing through his veins. His heart rate is accelerating as she continues to stare at him.

"I don't sleep…ever."

Edward moves closer until he is standing between her legs. He doesn't even question what she just revealed to him. He is too taken with her.

"Are you hungry?" She knows what he's asking but more importantly what he is offering.

"I'm always hungry for you." Isabella's reply causes Edward to swallow nervously. There are layers of meaning within that one sentence.

"You can have me anytime you want."

If I may interject here, I would like to place an order too because I'm sure we're always in the mood for some Edward Cullen; especially when he's offering.

There are no more words as Isabella turns her head and sinks her teeth into his forearm. A gasp escapes Edward and a moan slips from Isabella's lips. She holds his forearm with one hand and pulls him closer with the other but that's not enough…she wraps her legs around him in an attempt to get even closer.

Greedy much? I know, what you're thinking…I'm just jealous…and you're right…I am…aren't you?

Her mind is hazy from his blood and her breathing increases making her chest rise and fall in rapid succession. Edward is fascinated by the simultaneous reactions in both of them. He closes his eyes and savors the feel of his blood leaving his body and entering hers. It's like being in a freefall. It makes him lightheaded. Suddenly she pushes him away, jumping off the stool and turning her back to him. He nearly stumbles and grabs the counter for support.

The lights flicker on in the kitchen, "hey what are you guys doing?"

Carlie's voice is groggy as she rubs her eyes.

"Nothing, just getting some water," Edward comes up with the first excuse that comes to mind.

"I didn't know Bella was sleeping over. Why didn't you guys invite me to your sleepover?"

Carlie's face twisted in a pout and Edward smiled at her. "Sorry, I promise you'll have lots of sleepovers with Bella. Let me get you some water so you can get back to bed."

Carlie notices that Bella doesn't turn around to acknowledge her but she doesn't mind. Edward seems to be one handed tonight. He has his other hand pressed against his body as if he was hurt. She shrugs and takes the water from Edward before heading back to her room. She's too sleepy to care.

Edward grabs Bella's hand. He glances at her red eyes as they silently walk to his room. He knows she didn't want to scare Carlie with her appearance so she kept her back turned. He has so many questions, like how she can control her appearance or why she needs blood. But he doesn't care; as long as she is part of his life, he doesn't care what she is.

He refuses to release her hands even after he shuts his door and enters his dark room. He pulls her to his bed and they both sit in the dark staring at each other.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault you're still bleeding. May I?" Bella looks at his forearm.

She licks the blood that was still pooling from it then uses venom to seal the wound.

"Stay with me tonight."

Her eyes flicker to his as he gets up and changes his shirt. He gets under his covers and pulls her into bed with him. Edward's hand embraces her body, pulling her into a hug. He tangles their legs together until their entire bodies are flushed against each other. His eyes close and he breaths in her scent.

"My Bella…"

Um…maybe one of us should tap Edward on the shoulder to remind him to break up with Tanya before pulling Bella into bed with him. Are there any volunteers?


	13. Chapter 13

**Let Me In-Chapter Thirteen**

** Annotation: Forgive me Reader, for I have sinned; it's been thirty-seven days since my last posting…**

**:::::**

The art of breathing is fascinating.

Isabella watches as air is internalized and then expelled with the forceful push of reflexive muscles.

Ahhh…how she wishes to be one molecule of oxygen so that she is internalized by the slumbering Edward Cullen.

Maybe it's the fact that the blood within him carries said oxygen molecules to nourish all of him. For his nourishment is now her utmost concern and his existence dictates hers; her survival necessitates his.

Yet, _does he need her? _

In fact, it seems that Edward might fare better in life if he refrains from females who have the constant need to gorge themselves on his blood.

Isabella is still in his arms as these ideas ravage her mind. She is fixated on his rhythmic vein.

Will either of them survive the separation that she is contemplating?

Edward is more than a tasty meal to her…right?

His entire family has elicited her humanity and crippled the monster that for so long defined who she has always been. They have saved her in the matter of a few days and she does not want her involvement to create any more harrowing experiences. She understands that Alice and Edward will require an explanation about the incident. The truth may do more damage than good but they deserve honesty for exposing themselves to death.

She peels herself from Edward and enters the guest bedroom. She can hear Carlisle's increased heart rate and isn't surprised when he checks in on her. She does not feign sleep but simply gives Carlisle a smile when he mumbles his apology for waking her.

She does follow him downstairs as he makes coffee for anyone who needs it. His side glances do not go unnoticed by Isabella as she cradles a hot mug of coffee between her hands. She focuses on the abnormal physiological change; her hand is now the same temperature as the mug and the heat is slowly dissipating throughout her body.

Her coffee is dark and murky; with no cream to tinge its color to a light shade of tan.

Carlisle clears his throat and she understands this human gesture to get her attention.

"Bella, Esme and I can go with you to a lawyer this afternoon to take care of all of Charlie's financial affairs."

"There's no need, everything is in my name already."

Carlisle's eyebrows inch towards his forehead. It is very odd that a minor has rights and access to all financial assets in a family. He knows the Swans are wealthy from the leeway his wife had with the renovations; so he is doubtful that Bella fully understands all the paperwork that may be involve for her to access any funds as a minor.

"Well, it's still a good idea to visit a lawyer to make sure that you will never have a problem accessing all your family's assets."

Bella removes her hand from the steaming cup of coffee as she contemplates how to dissuade Carlisle. Maybe the truth will not do too much damage…

"Charlie and I were always wary of something happening; we went to a lawyer a long time ago…"

Bella visit Jenks soon after Charlie was a significant part of her life. If anything happened to her, Charlie would need for nothing. She did not tell Carlisle that the meeting was to ensure Charlie's financial security not hers; the money was always in her name. Jenks had to make changes to her birth date every once in a while to match her credentials, yet it always worked out.

Carlisle's scrutinizing look does not bother Bella and he isn't surprised by her lack of reaction. He has noticed that Bella is unlike most teenagers. He knows that there is more to what she is telling him because as he deduces there is much more to Bella. He looks closely at her but is soon distracted by a loud thumping of feet down the stairs.

A rumpled Edward emerges looking around wildly. Bella smiles as his gaze lingers on her and his groggy, bewildered face turns into a relieved smile.

"Where were you? I woke up and you were gone…"

He finally notices his father giving him an inquiring glance. He trails off and distracts himself by getting a cup of coffee. The three of them remain at the counter in mutual silence. Carlisle and Edward sip their coffee, each in their own thoughts. Bella focuses on the accelerating heartbeats from Esme, Alice and Carlie. She also hears a car with four heartbeats turn onto the street.

Esme and Alice join the coffee drinkers downstairs while Carlie starts an animated conversation with Bella. She is disturbed that no one thought to invite her to the apparent slumber party that took place in her home. Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and Tanya walk in during Carlie's long speech about the injustices of not including her. Esme and Carlisle exchange cautious glances. Someone has to tell Carlie about Charlie's death.

Jasper, Tanya, Rosalie and Emmett all give Bella sympathetic smiles that she returns rather awkwardly. She has never had this much human interaction and it unnerves her. She can also see the guilt wash over Edward as Tanya settles near him.

Esme busies herself with making everyone a hearty breakfast but she keeps trying to indicate that Carlisle should take Carlie to the den to talk to her.

Carlie stops only when she makes everyone swear to include her in all nightly activities that include Bella remaining for the night. Bella is only partly paying attention to Carlie because she is bothered by Tanya and Edward being together. This was a first for her; she had never really cared about their romantic relationship before now. She knows she is feeling susceptible because of the trauma from Charlie's death. Being with Edward last night had been intimate and she does not want him to experience that with anyone else. She needs to get out of the kitchen.

Bella gives Carlisle a pleading look before she turns to Carlie, "hey Carlie, I need to tell you something. Can we talk in the den?"

"Sure" Carlie's answer is light. This makes Bella swallow reflexively because she does not want to be the source of sadness for this child.

Esme watches as the two girls disappear into the den and she is prepared to move in to comfort her youngest daughter if necessary

Bella remains standing and watches as Carlie plops herself on the couch. She lays with her hands splayed behind her head as her eyes remain glued on Bella.

"Carlie, my father died last night."

The delivery is calm. Each word is even, without any change in tone as to minimize the news. Bella doesn't even understand why she chose to tell Carlie in this manner. It's not because she wants to diminish the impact of the event. It isn't to make it easier to tell a young human something that has changed her entire life. This was the way the words came from her lips.

Carlie sits up then ambles towards Bella. She tugs Bella until they are eye level and the does the only thing she knows to do. She hugs Bella as tightly as her thin arms can and she holds her. She holds her together and at the same time she tears her apart. This small child propels the hurt that is buried inside of Bella to the surface and it nearly shatters her. Bella has the familiar urge to channel her hurt into destructive fury but refrains because she has never had anyone hold her like that.

This is purest form of concern that contains no words or pity…it is a sincere gesture from a child trying to pour her soul through a hug. She is filling the gap that Charlie left and she used no words to perform the act. Carlie senses that Bella is not well and that she could never understand what was happening to Bella but she can give her the comfort that she needs.

It is too much.

Bella abruptly pushes Carlie from her, "you have to stay away from me."

Carlie isn't hurt; she is merely surprised as she lands with a huff. She looks up at Bella and sees the darkness creep around her eyes. Brown turns to black then to red while Isabella stares down at this small human who made her feel broken. She had been waiting to crack when she saw Tanya glue herself to Edward's side but she took that in stride. Now a simple hug from a small human would be her undoing.

This family is affecting her in entirely new ways.

She needs to leave.

The crisp outdoor air is void of the Cullen essence. Her sock-covered feet trample the snow in the back yard. She can still smell the faint hint of Charlie's blood and Mason's ashes. It is an odd mix. The familiarity of both men causes the two beings in her to wail with agony. She was relieved to find that Edward was the reason she was attracted to Mason in the first place. Her being is so attracted to Edward that when she ran across his ancestor, Mason, she formed a bond with him. Yet he seemed to ignite the worst in her while Charlie and the other Cullens remind her of her humanity.

She is frustrated that she still feels like a monster. She is well aware of her humanity and that's why she refrains from drinking Tanya dry. She understands that Edward is with Tanya for a reason. They have been together for a long time and Tanya can give him so much more than Bella. She can grow old with him; she can have children with him and provide many other human experiences that Bella cannot even fathom. Yet she attempts to list all the things that Edward will miss if he was with her. She needs to convince herself that she is not good for him. That she has no reason for her to feel this possessive towards him.

It makes her weak, it makes her feel broken and losing Charlie has only made the wound greater. Had she never known Charlie, then she would not know pain like this. She could live sans the effects of death. She would not have thought twice of killing a nine-year old girl or abandoning the Cullens, instead here she is breaking down in the snow.

She did not realize that she was sinking to the ground as her tears leaked from her eyes. Even her tears betray her. They are not the clear saline liquid that humans leak from their eyes. No, hers are red and they kiss the unadulterated white snow…brutality against purity. That's what she is and that's what her tears are proving. They are thick streaks of blood against her pale skin and the darkness of her eyes deepens with the redness in her pupils.

"Bella"

That one voice is the one she does not wish to hear in this moment. Their eyes lock as Edward sees her…truly sees her. The creature that he is enamored with is just that…a creature…

"You have to tell me what you are so I can help you!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Let Me In-Chapter Fourteen**

Isabella is so torn…rip apart by the pain that she knows she is causing Edward if she follows her instincts to run. She sees his face etched in pain as his hands hangs limply…a submissive gesture to show her that he is willing to do whatever she wants for her to remain.

She needs this man-boy…even though it is too much of a burden for a human to endure…to be bound to a loathed creature like her.

She instantly shifts her weight and uses the snow to clean her face. She can see Edward's eyes widen as her features returns to their normal human façade.

"Edward?"

Tanya's voice carries through the wind to reach them both.

It pierces Isabella and reminds her of all her human deficiencies. As selfish as it is, she needs Edward for more than his blood. He will suffer if she leaves and she will disintegrate. She can only imagine the carnage of human bodies that will lie in her wake as she tries to quench her thirst for him. She will rather suffer by watching him live his life with Tanya than to be alone, always on the fringes of his life without his knowledge.

Instead she opts to be at the periphery of his life with his knowledge. Once she can fully explain who she is and what she is, she will try to plead for him to always allow her to remain in his life. Even if she has to be his secret, she wants to be near him, with him…yet as her gaze shifts to Tanya who is stumbling through the snow towards them, she wonders if she has enough self-control to stop herself from killing Tanya.

Isabella's eyes are trained on Tanya's arms as they wound their way around Edward's waist, effectively trapping him in a human cage. She leans into him with pleading eyes but he merely pats her back and keeps his eyes trained on Isabella. No one says anything for a long minute.

Isabella doesn't even blink; her mask settles on her face as she focuses on those frail human arms. Oh how easy it would be to rip Tanya's arms off Edward, how she could end this annoying mortal's existence. But she must not. Edward obviously cares for Tanya and she had not faulted Isabella.

With a tired sigh, she walks away from Tanya and Edward. She hears Tanya's voice as she pleads with Edward to open up to her. She wants to know what he sees in Bella, why they are close and what they were discussing before she interrupted. Isabella shuts them out as she enters the house again. She can hear that the family has stopped talking as they hear her entry. Esme leaves the kitchen to find Isabella and she gives her a small smile.

"Do you mind if I just hang out in the room by myself for a while? I just want some time to think."

"Of course Dear, take all the time you need. If you're hungry or if you need anything, you just let me know ok?" Esme's smile is genuine but sad. She wants to hug Isabella, maybe even shed some tears with her, but she can see that she needs to grieve alone.

Her steps are quiet; her head is vibrating with thoughts. She is mechanical as she showers and dresses for bed. Her body needs no sleep, yet an exhaustion that cannot be quenched encompasses her form as she sits with her legs crossed in the middle of the bed.

She shuts her eyes and mourns for Charlie. She flicks through her impressive memory, reminiscing about her surrogate father; his loyalty to her is terrifyingly enduring. She can finally see his sacrifices. She can see the crinkle around his eyes, they way his hair began to transform from its dark locks into silver-grey strands and she can even smell him. His scent was always comforting to her…like returning home after a long journey. Now she will never again be with her human. He ran out of time and now she can never tell him how much he saved her from herself. How selfish she was to take him into her world and how she feels like she is repeating the mistake with Edward. She wishes Charlie could explain why she feels so connected to Edward.

Her thoughts are now consumed with Edward. The way he runs his hands through his hair, that he not only smiles with his lips but his eyes, and how he looks at her when he thinks no one is looking. She also dwells on his attachment to his human girlfriend and how she can fulfill all his human needs.

Isabella sits in this pose, her thoughts bouncing from Charlie to Edward. She looks in Carlisle's direction when he comes and checks on her, but she does not see him. She looks through him. The same thing occurs when Esme and Emmett enter her room. Alice and Carlie are the only ones who seem to understand. They do not try to engage her in conversation but they simply sit near her and silently hug her. She hears when Esme and Carlisle talk to her about the funeral arrangements and how they think she should attend school instead of home-schooling. She simply nods and remains in her stagnant state. She has not seen Edward the entire time and she knows that he is staying away for a good reason. Alice explained that he was trying to figure out what was happening between them.

Isabella wakes from her stagnant state on the day of Charlie's funeral. She takes in a breath for the first time and the aroma of the Cullens burn through her throat. She dresses in the ensemble that Alice has left her; she notices that all her clothing have been moved into the home and she can vaguely recollect when Alice, Jasper and Emmett walked into the room to organize her belongings. She stands in the middle of her room in the Cullen home seeing beyond the full-length mirror in front of her. She feels Carlie's small hands encompass hers and they descend the stairs together.

It is almost comical that a creature of her fierceness is being led to a black town car by a child after she had systematically shut down. There are a long line of black town cars in front of the Cullen home and she can sense the wary looks that each family member gives her as she enters the car. They are worried by her lack of eating or doing anything for that matter. They are afraid for her…she seems absent from life, refusing to participate.

Carlie enters the car first and Isabella obediently follows the small child; she nearly whimpers as his scent fills the entire car. Edward hastily enters and grabs her hand pulling her closer to him as the driver takes off. She leans her head on his shoulder as his hugs her closer to him. Carlie is silently watching the two of them yet she does not comment, she simply continues to hold Bella's hand.

The cemetery is desolate and beautiful. Thick snow burdens the ground and hides it from the sky while black figures in the white snow stand around a grave whishing Charlie Swan farewell. It is over too soon and everyone returns to the Cullen home to celebrate Charlie, a man they barely knew.

There are guests throughout the entire Cullen home, marring their delicious odor. They are curious about the beautiful new orphan that will be attending Forks High. They are also very delighted to know that the Swans are rich beyond their wildest dreams, thus they keep introducing their sons to the grieving Isabella as she stands listening to their meaningless banter. She has a glass of water in her hand but has not taken a sip from it. It is the Newtons turn to introduce their nephew to Isabella, regaling her of his merits from his private school in Alaska.

She can smell Edward as he approaches her.

"Can I borrow Isabella for a minute? She will be right back."

Edward doesn't wait for a response, instead he grabs her waist and steers her through the mob of people who invited themselves. They don't even know Charlie or Isabella, yet they descend like vultures. He was looking at her from across the room while Tanya prattled about something but when the Newtons dug their claws into her, he had to save her.

Even as they walk upstairs, he can feel Tanya's eyes on his back.

He pulls Bella into Emmett's room and then into the attached bathroom. She sets the water down and closes her eyes; her inhalation is deep and a slow smile spreads across her face. He is fascinated…like watching a swan awaken, ruffling its feathers and stretching out. He was heartbroken and confused while she boarded herself in her room and hid from the world. Alice had convinced him to give her space to mourn Charlie before taking anything further with her…but he couldn't take it anymore…he was tired of staying away.

Isabella inhaled him as he stood across the bathroom from her, "why are we in Emmett's bathroom?"

"Because no one will think of looking for us here"

Her chuckle thrills him, "Bella…I want you."

Isabella cocks her head at the human in front of her.

"You don't know what you're saying Edward…you don't even know me."

His hands automatically run through his hair and she follows the action almost reverently with her eyes. This room is too small as his scent saturates everything...she wants to taste him again.

"I may not know everything about you and it doesn't make sense but I've been thinking about us for the past couple of days, I want you…I need you...I want to know you, the real you…you don't know how much I want this…I can't explain it."

Edward is pacing now; he seems overexcited and wants to explain himself. His feet carry him before Isabella, his eyes are lit with hope and expectation, "I know this isn't the right time and I'm willing to wait for as long as you need, but I…"

His lips crash into hers.

Isabella is caught off guard and a growl of pleasure reverberates through her as she returns his kiss. He taste so good…his moans are low and pleading for her to understand his infatuation as he grips her waist pulling them closer. He releases her lips and kisses along her jaw line, down her neck...her head rolls back and her eyes shut, savoring the moment. She can feel the change occurring. She knows her eyes are red and her skin is ashen and she can hear his heart beating, pulsing, calling to her…

It is instinctive as she hoists herself onto the counter and grabs his hair…she pulls his head back, removing his lips from her neck and exposing his veins. They are pulsating with the same eagerness that she feels. Her teeth sinks into his supple flesh as he moans with ecstasy, he pulls her closer to him until he is directly between her legs. She wraps her legs tighter and sinks her teeth in deeper…she can feel his blood enter her, reviving her.

She doesn't hear the footsteps in Emmett's room, she doesn't hear the bathroom door open…she continues to drink until a gasp alerts them that they are no longer alone …

**Annotation: Any guesses who catches them?**


	15. Chapter 15

**Let Me In-Chapter Fifteen**

**By MoneyTunes10**

The lust galloping through Edward's veins has rendered Isabella's usual astute senses useless…she can taste it in his blood… and her taste buds dance with joy at his lustfully sweet flavor…

For this reason, she had no hope of seeing Alice's small frame shuddering, no hope of smelling this particular Cullen… but the audible fright that leaves Alice as she remains in the doorway is enough for the feral eyes of this creature to shift to the sound.

Isabella's lips remain latched to Edward's throat…still devouring his life essence…but her eyes glare at Alice, challenging her to make more than a whimper. Her love, Edward, is taken aback at the sheer terror in his twin's eyes. He has never seen his sister so afraid, not since they were kids and he fell off his bike. But he can not wretch himself free of Bella, the unyielding urge to remain in her grasp leaves him in a sea of lust and fear.

He feels when her lips leave his neck…her tongue tickles him as she takes a slow languid lick, sealing the wound with her venom…

"Hello Alice, can I help you?"

Isabella smirks at the small human before her…her milky white neck is practically sheer as her veins pulsate with fear. The adrenaline in the room is palpable…

Ahhh…the Cullens smell most appetizing…but her Edward is the most flavorful.

Her ruby eyes study Edward and she can see the doubt cloud his green orbs. Although he remains holding her, the urge to right the wrong communicating through his eyes takes over. She has to ignore the creature trying to force its way out…the creature that yearns to consume all the blood rhythmically thundering in the small room.

Ruby orbs turn to brown as Isabella quells her bloodlust and softens her alien appearance. Even Alice is surprised when she looks more human …

"You know that I'll never hurt you right?"

Her voice is saccharine sweet…too sweet…too innocent. Isabella can only focus on both their heartbeats as she awaits his response…

Their hearts are in unison…thunderous with fear…

Edward's eyes finally shift from his sister's to Bella's… her brown eyes does not look like the Bella he knows, they seem more sinister now…more alien…

Isabella Swan is most assuredly more than a human teenage girl…

Does he _know_ that she will not hurt him? Edward is unsure but he nods anyway.

Perfect white teeth flash when he gives his affirmation.

The same satisfied smile is angled at Alice who can only blink. This is not Bella, something seems wilder much more feral about the girl sitting on the counter with her brother standing between her thighs. Alice doesn't think before the words leave her mouth, "what are you?"

"Oh Alice don't be like that…I'm the same girl…Isabella…and don't worry about your brother, he was helping me."

"Oh."

What is she suppose to say to that? What she witnessed between Bella and Edward seemed so intimate…

"I trust that you will keep this between us."

There is not a request… but Alice ponders the idea before she answers.

Will she be able to keep this from Jasper?

Since Bella entered their lives, she has had to cover up strange events for this girl including the unanswered questions from the night of Charlie's death…

Alice nods despite the gut feeling that she should tell someone, anyone about Isabella's strange habits.

With that, the three silently leave the bathroom and rejoin the others.

**::::**

In the following days, Isabella is the most present manifestation…and rightly so because Bella is hiding, for lack of a better disposition.

The hurt from Charlie's death have left the softer side of this creature without the capacity to function and so her human qualities fall to the wayside.

The Cullens assume that she is withdrawing as a coping mechanism to deal with Charlie's death but Alice and Edward know better…

The incident with Bella in the bathroom has scared Edward enough for him to withdraw slightly from her. He feels guilty about the timing of his decision but he needs space to figure out his irrational feelings for her. He also needs to know what she is…it didn't seem important at first but when he saw the fear in Alice, he had to reexamine his earlier notions.

And so we find Edward spending less time with Bella…Alice follows suit and isn't as warm to Bella either…they are afraid of the unknown, as expected.

Humans are always afraid of the unknown…this is one lesson that Isabella is taught time and time again. The lesson never ceases, it runs on a loop through time and she sees the fear in both Alice and Edward…for she is the unknown.

Let's not forget about Edward's dutiful girlfriend… Tanya is delighted for the obvious frostiness between the Cullen twins and Bella.

Rosalie differs; she is in a state of oblivion and does not care for the tension. Her own apprehension towards Isabella is thrown to the wayside simply because she is bored.

Emmett and Jasper still try to include Bella in their activities…they may not understand why Alice and Edward suddenly turned a cold shoulder to Bella, but they have no qualms with her.

At least that's what they remind themselves every time Bella turns them down…

**::::**

What our sweet little humans don't know is that Edward's withdrawal from Isabella is detrimental…she is questioning the entire concept of mating because of Edward's reaction…she is in a dark place…a cruel place…

The place that every girl gets to when they are made aware of their ignorance…that fairytales are not true…they never were…but nightmares…ahhh those are as real as it gets…

It seems that Isabella was in some dreaming state when she began living with Charlie… she thought she could camouflage what she was and pretend that she was human…

Now that she knows better, nothing can draw her from this state…her constant thought is of Edward's rejection, which is the key that holds her under.

She can feel the oppression of his refusal deep in her bones. She can touch it through the walls, taste it on her tongue, but most of all, she hears it. It is loud and it is clear... through Tanya's whimpers of pleasure, her stifled moans and uncontrollable panting as Edward thrusts inside her. As Edward spills into her, as Edward loves her.

If you could peek into Isabella's room, you would see her gently touch the wall, press her ear against it and feel the minuscule vibrations of their lovemaking…then you would witness the fracturing of an unbreakable creature…the hair on the back of your neck would start to shiver….goosebumps would erupt and the most basic instinct inside of you would scream to run…warning you that Isabella is becoming unhinged.

Her nostrils flare and her body quivers…she can feel her mate, from her feet to the hollows of her eyelids, electrifying her spine, breaking her ribs and shattering her skull.

This is the damage that Edward continually inflicts on Isabella…every moment he makes love to Tanya in the Cullen home.

And although Isabella is birthed from evil, there was always hope that the good that inherently accompanies all evil things could be coerced from her. How laughable this idea is now…

As the days pass by, she loses the little humanity Charlie managed to bring forth from her…

Why should she deny herself? Her nature? She is the living dead; Death itself was undone for her, so why should she be craving a human boy…one so alive unlike herself.

And so she tells herself…no more dreaming like a love struck girl… she's been in love with the wrong world for too long and she was going to change that. She would unleash herself unto the world…starting with this small town.

A storm erupts inside her, thunder sounds and lightning cracks…she submerges herself in the dark world that she has known for as long as she can remember…the spell of needing to be human has been broken and now she is torn open in the midst of this storm. 

She sees the disparity between herself and her human Edward.

But wait my Lovelies, you think her fracturing is the worst part…to see the object of your desire with anther…what if you couldn't leave…couldn't' turn away to stop the pain…had to remain near him…

It would be so easy to run away from it all…to escape…but it is impossible for her to live without Edward. Knowing that her other half exists…albeit in human form…she must remain rooted near him or risk dying… she is caged.

All that power and nowhere to go to unleash it…until she has the conversation with Carlisle and Esme about her attending Forks High.

**::::**

What a sight to see Isabella walk the halls of Forks High School. Clearly her features are more appropriate for high fashion magazines and this makes the hormonal boys insatiable. They grab every opportunity to fixate on her features but they keep their distance. Maybe it's the way she turns her head in their direction and looks at them like prey, maybe it's the lithe movements of her body…or maybe it's just human instinct…it keeps them away.

Edward notices this…they way they look at her and the way she dismisses their attention. How can he not notice this? He notices everything about Bella. Even as he tries to banish her from his mind, his faculties betray him…and his soul rebels. It sneers at Tanya when he makes love to her and screams for Bella because he knows how close she is. But he just needs time to sort out what she is…he hadn't meant to be so cold to her. Not really, it was Alice who suggested that he take some time to figure out what he wanted… because clearly there was more than friendship between them. She even promised to support him, claiming that she had to re-evaluate her friendship with Bella…

But a curious thing was happening to Edward…the more he remained aloof from Bella, the more he seemed to be losing time.

It first started with him zoning out in class…he resurfaced to an annoyed teacher yelling his name to bring him back to reality. But when Edward returns, he is startled when he realizes that he doesn't remember where he is, or who he is. There is only one name that runs through his head…Isabella.

That was the first time…

The lapses in time become longer… he would forget the name of the dark haired girl sitting across from him or the strawberry blond holding his hand or the young girl jumping around excitedly, yet he instinctively knew that they were not Isabella.

Edward began to have frequent episodes, each lasted longer, then it would take him longer to recollect Alice's name, or Tanya's and even Carlie, his own baby sister. Once, he remained staring at a brawny dark haired boy and a blonde boy, trying to remember them but the memories took a long time to return. When Edward's memories were finally restored, they flowed painfully into him; his neurons all fired at once…trying to reconnect, desperate for the renewal of knowledge. He would be left drained and dizzy, alerting his family and friends.

Something's wrong with Edward...

Brain scans and neurologists at Carlisle's job failed to find anything out of the ordinary... no aneurysm…just a normal teenage brain.

Yes, Edward's lapses are a curious thing indeed.

But a slow smile spreads on Isabella's face as she listens to the hushed discussion between the worried Cullen parents. Something is obviously wrong with their son and they need to locate the problem in order to solve it.

At first, Isabella wasn't sure how mate separation would manifest for a human, but it seems that Edward's mind has rebelled. She may be starving and in physical pain, but her hardened body can withstand much more than Edward's. She did not have the pleasure of witnessing one of his blackouts but she has a good idea what a cure would entail…

**Annotation: Sorry for the delay with updating…I was just waiting for Isabella to inspire me :)**


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